


your Axe to my throat, my Knife to yours

by Thorinsmut



Series: Axes and Knives [1]
Category: The Hobbit (2012), The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Love/Hate, M/M, and eventually a happy ending, appropriate warnings in chapter summaries, or as happy an ending as you can get when you're going cannonical with the BOFA, then some hate/love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-06
Updated: 2013-03-05
Packaged: 2017-11-28 11:28:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 24
Words: 71,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/673882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thorinsmut/pseuds/Thorinsmut
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>The Original Nwalin Longfic, now freshly reedited to celebrate the second anniversary of its completion!</em>
</p><p>Nori is an excellent thief with a complicated family. Dwalin is an excellent guardsman with complicated feelings about a certain thief. A lot of UST and some smut happens, and then they both join a suicide quest to reclaim a mountain from a dragon and things get even more complicated and smutty.<br/>Someday, they might actually be forced to come to terms with the fact that they don't hate each other. </p><p>Aka: Smut, love/hate, a little angst, some pining, and then a happy ending!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Your Axe to my Throat

**Author's Note:**

> This was my very first longfic. I offer it as-is.  
> A reflection of myself, the fandom, and the ship at the point in time it was written - completed just three months after the first movie came out.  
> I hope you enjoy.

Nori thought he'd gotten away, darting around a corner at full speed, when a big hand like iron closed around his bicep. He was thrown roughly against the wall of the alley, knocking the air out of him. He had no time to think of fighting before he felt the kiss of a very sharp blade against his throat.

_step one of brilliant escape plan: go still. go very very still_   
_step two: open eyes to assess the idiot who's grabbed you_   
_… oh fuck_

Biggest Dwarf he'd ever seen, definitely. Bald head sporting tattoos, slightly graying beard, scar across his face, nose broken at least a few times, expression difficult to read. Not angry... disgusted? possibly bored? Enormous shoulders. Enormous biceps. Enormous forearms with more tattoos. Very nice knuckle-dusters, good craftsmanship, distressingly sturdy and  _used_  looking. Very sharp axe against throat, hard to see from this position, probably matched the one still on the Dwarf's back, though, very nice looking. A harness of leather straps across his chest to hook his axes to that only accentuated the breadth of his shoulders.

_war veteran, definitely, possibly more than one war. the right age for Azanulbizar at the least_   
_too strong to slip away from, too experienced to be tricked with a sob story, and not likely to trade a quick fuck for freedom..._   
_but oh, isn't that a thought, holding on to those straps for dear life while he pounds into you with all that strength..._   
_NO!_   
_bad idea_   
_see: knuckle-dusters, axe, unhappy facial expression_   
_do not attempt!_   
_remain still for now_

The giant leaned in close. His voice was a low, rough rumble that Nori could feel all the way into his bones.

“Reach into your sleeve, very slowly, and take out the quill.”

_Do._   
_Not._   
_Moan._   
_ignore the heat of his body, ignore the wild animal scent of him_   
_just do what he says_

Nori obeyed, slowly. It was a beautiful quill, long and delicate, bright orange and iridescent green – he had no idea what sort of bird it might have come from. He just thought Ori would like it, and he hadn't come to see his baby brother for so long.

_he has to let go of you to take the quill_   
_he'll feel it if you tense up, stay relaxed_   
_be ready_   
_in three..._   
_two..._   
_...seriously?_

The giant shifted his grip on the axe, pressing it just slightly deeper into Nori's neck while the handle rested against the stone wall behind him. He couldn't move away toward the handle, and if he moved the opposite direction he'd slit his own throat.

The giant let go of Nori's bicep and took the quill. He tucked it into his jacket and took out a short length of thick cordage.

“Turn around, slowly, hands behind your back.”

_sweet Mahal that voice..._   
_Do. NOT. Moan!_   
_just do as he says._   
_maybe smile, that'll disarm him a little, a nice little 'that's a good guardsman please not the knuckle-dusters to the face' smile_   
_no, no that is the wrong smile_   
_No_

Nori could feel his face spreading into the shark smile, the 'I've got you where I want you' smile, the 'I win' smile. It was not the sort of smile to disarm anyone. The giant tensed. The axe pressed deeper against Nori's throat as he growled and glancing around behind himself. Of course, with that smile, he assumed Nori was being rescued.

No such luck, unfortunately.

Nori pressed himself tighter against the wall, breathing shallowly. The pressure of the axe blade on his throat was getting more than a little uncomfortable, but still he couldn't help notice the giant's ear.

_Orc bite on that ear, I'll wager... and he got it pierced anyway_   
_nice looking earring, solid craftsmanship_   
_bet he'd like it if you wrapped your teeth around it and tugged just a little bit while he bent you in half and..._   
_NO!_   
_axe, knuckle-dusters, suspicious expression_   
_stay still_

The giant was definitely not pleased now.

“Turn around and hands behind your back,” he growled, glowering down on Nori. Nori could tell he was definitely on the road toward a face/knuckle-dusters encounter but he couldn't. The axe was too sharp and pressed too tight and he really couldn't move without opening his neck right up.

He glanced up at the giant, and then at the axe, and then back up. The giant was tensing further, not understanding. This was very very bad.

“axe,” Nori whispered, and even that tiny motion was enough to start to split the skin. He didn't even dare wince for fear the motion would make things worse.

There were several terrifying seconds before the giant understood. His heavy-browed blue eyes widened as they dropped to the axe. Unfortunately, he did not jump back the way a less experienced guardsman might. He slowly eased the axe off of Nori's neck, took a firm grip on Nori's bicep, and turned him around, pressing him to the wall with an elbow.

_so close to perfect_   
_imagine those big hands on your hips, fingers digging in hard enough to bruise_   
_bet he fucks like an animal, all sweat and fire and muscle with his teeth in your neck..._   
_stop_   
_just... stop_

Nori obediently put his hands behind his back, and the giant tied his wrists expertly. He growled when Nori tried to hold his hands in a way that would give him slack. It was strong cordage, thick, and unless Nori was mistaken... yes, definitely had metal chain in the middle so it couldn't be cut. The giant had tied him very well. Not unnecessarily uncomfortable, but with no slack to work with and no way for Nori to reach the strings.

The giant gave him a brief frisking, taking the most obvious of his weapons.

_ooooh those hands..._   
_no_   
_do not whimper_   
_do not moan_   
_shuddering also not allowed_

and then took a bruising grip on his elbow and towed him to the jail. It was a very routine sort of arrest. Nori was searched. More of his weapons, and almost all of the other stuff he'd nicked at market, was located and taken away. Then the giant had the privilege of tossing him into a solitary cell.

Nori rolled, of course, as soon as he hit the straw-covered stone floor. He bounced back up on his feet before the door even clanged closed behind him, but he didn't rush the door. He watched while the giant locked it, getting a very helpful glimpse of the shape of the key.

_time to be friendly... now you're in and he's out, everyone knows where everyone stands_   
_makes life a bit easier if everyone's civil about the whole thing_   
_start with a smile, a nice 'thanks for not giving me the knuckle-dusters to the face' smile_   
_not that smile!_   
_no, stop it!_

Nori could feel the shark smile on his face again, as he casually leaned against a wall. The giant snorted and walked away, and Nori watched him go. He looked just as good from the back as he did from the front.

“Who was that?” Nori finally asked the Dwarf in the cell across from him.

“The old wolverine?” she asked, laughing. She was working on something, knitting... was a bit incongruous, knitting in a jail cell. “Roughed you up, did he?” she indicated her neck with a twitch of her thumb. Nori reached up to his own neck, touching the still damp blood from the thankfully small cut.

“No more than he had to,” Nori admitted. She chuckled, shaking her head at him.

“That's Dwalin, and you'd best not be thinking of revenge. Good sort, the most honest guardsman you'll ever meet, but he'll not hesitate to kill you.”

Nori nodded his thanks to the knitting Dwarf and explored his new domain. It was not such a bad jail. There was clean straw on the floors, the chamber pot was clean. There was even a pallet to sleep on, with a threadbare blanket folded neatly at the foot. Everything well worn, but clean. Compared to some places he'd stayed, this was almost homey.

“Feed us regular?” he asked.

“Twice a day,” his neighbor answered with a smile. “Simple fare but it fills you up.”

Nori settled in to wait.

  


Two nights later Nori climbed in the second story window Ori always kept unlocked for him. He paused once inside to let his eyes adjust to the increased darkness. It had been pitifully easy to escape the jail, once he knew the schedules of the guards.

Amazing, the things you could hide in your hair if you had enough of it, and Nori had  _lots_ of hair. It was almost surprising that nobody had picked up on that, yet. Did they think he kept this hairstyle because it was practical ?

His eyes adjusted, and he crept onward through the house.

“Nori?” Ori's voice carried out of his room, and Nori smiled.

“No, it's a burglar,” he answered.

Ori peeked out his bedroom door with a grin, and threw himself on his big brother. Nori steadied the lamp in his baby brother's hand so it didn't spill or light anything on fire.

“Careful... careful...” he murmured.

“Where have you been?” Ori's eyes gleamed as he lead Nori into his bedroom. “I want to hear everything!”

“I can't stay long,” Nori warned. “I have to get out of town, but I brought you this.” He pulled a new quill out of his sleeve. It was not as flashy as the first he'd stolen, but the best he could do on such short notice.

Ori took it reverently. “Oooh... Dori'll have a fit when he sees me with this," he purred. Nori laughed and kissed the top of his baby brother's head.

when did he get so tall?

  


Dwalin was the guardsman on duty in the morning. He ambled through the small jail for his morning rounds, checking that everything was as it should be. Nothing much had changed in the night, most of the prisoners were still sleeping. The cell he'd put that damn cocky star-headed thief in was empty.

Locked, though.

And the blanket was folded.

Dwalin finished his rounds and went to the front. He checked where the thief's belongings, the ones that weren't stolen, or at least not stolen in this town, had been kept. There were no belongings, so that must mean he'd been let out.

Dwalin had certainly not heard that the thief was being let out. He _should_ have heard about it, unless the thief had some very important family connections who wanted it kept quiet, and Dwalin was pretty sure he would have known about those. The thief wasn't from any noble house he knew.

The last of the night guards were getting ready to go home, Dwalin approached the one most likely to know.

“Where did the thief go?” Dwalin asked. There was no point in being circumspect, no matter what Balin always tried to say.

The other guard looked confused, and Dwalin's stomach began to drop.

“The big-haired thief I brought in a few days ago is not in his cell. His things are gone. Where did he go!” Dwalin was aware that his volume had risen and all the guards in the room were staring at him.

Then there was pandemonium.

He was among the first to arrive back at the cell as the entire jail was being searched. Night staff guards and other criminals were being interrogated, but nobody had seen anything.

Dwalin opened the cell door and walked in. He waved everyone else back, searching the cell for any clues to how how the thief could have escaped.

The bars were all solid, of course they were solid they were Dwarf make. The lock worked perfectly, Dwarf make again, and there really was no way out. Yet the thief was not in the cell.

Dwalin sat down heavily on the pallet, utterly stumped.

_how? how would I get out of jail?_   
_one: don't steal anything_   
_two: knock out whoever tries to put me in jail_   
_three: if already in jail, knock someone out and steal the keys_   
_four: get word to Balin to make it go away_   
_five: pick the lock? with what? I searched the damn thief myself! he had nothing!_   
_six: charm someone into letting me out? no. I know all the guards. nobody's that dense._   
_HOW!_

Dwalin punched the bed beside him in frustration, and then paused. It was not something you would see unless you were sitting on the bed, but there was something peeking out from between the folds of the blanket. He gently picked it up with two big fingers.

A flower?

A miniscule flower knotted around a piece of straw in gray-green thread that looked exactly like...  
Dwalin looked down at himself in shock. It looked and felt exactly like someone had pulled a single thread out of the weave of his tunic, but that really couldn't be. The thread must have come from somewhere else.

Still... Dwalin tucked the flower into an inner pocket of his clothes and determined to forget about it. Forget about it and the damn inexplicable thief and just go on with his day.

  


Dwalin pushed his way into Oin's shop, glowering at what few customers were there so ferociously that they cleared out. He pulled the flower out of his pocket and slammed it down in front of the shopkeeper, healer, and old-fashioned fusspot who knew more about knot language than anyone else Dwalin knew.

“What's it say?” he demanded.

Oin peered at it for a moment, eyebrows raised. He took out a jewelers glass and lifted it to his eyes, humming happily.

“Oh... work of a master, this... lovely, lovely...” he murmured, turning it over and over. “Such detail, extraordinary!”

“What's it say?” Dwalin had no patience.

Oin gave him an exasperated look, “Nothing, Master Dwalin. It says nothing, which is truly extraordinary. It takes a true master to string the knots in such a way that there is no meaning, even a garbled unintentional one.”

“He's laughing at me, damn him,” Dwalin growled. He shoved the flower back into his pocket and stalked back out of the shop.

He meant to throw the flower away.

He didn't.

It stayed in his pocket until his clothes needed washing, and then somehow ended up in the pocket of the clothes he changed into.

_it's to make me remember to be angry, that's why I keep it_   
_to stay angry and alert for that cocky thief who isn't even afraid, who smiles up at me when my axe is cutting into his throat, who disappears into thin air the instant I turn my back_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a lovely cover image to go with this first chapter.  
> http://paperflower86.tumblr.com/post/44560722856/fanart-for-your-axe-to-my-throat-my-knife-to
> 
> and another!  
> http://pandoras-shoes.tumblr.com/post/74957218382/3-love-this-fic


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caught once again. This time, it's personal.  
> We learn a little more about how Nori escapes, see some Ri Brothers adorableness, and Dwalin has a problem.

Nori tried to stay out of Ered Luin and environs but Ori was here. Nori could never stay away long enough to be forgotten, like he could other towns and cities, because Ori was waiting for him. Ori worked as an apprentice scribe with to one of the old nobles of Erebor, and of course Dori _liked_  that the Guard were on their watch for Nori. He did not want Nori anywhere near either of them.

_he didn't complain when the family was starving and you brought home food, did he?_   
_he didn't complain when Ori was shivering and you brought home clothes and blankets_   
_he didn't complain then, what's so different now?_

But Nori didn't say that, because he knew the answer would be “Because now you have a choice. Because now you're not doing it to survive, you're doing it because you _like_  it.”

Nori did like it. Sure, sometimes he ended up in a jail cell for a few days, but then he got himself back out and everything was dandy. He couldn't even really be too angry at Dori, because he knew from experience, if he ever really couldn't get out of jail, Dori would be there with soothing words and money from who-knows-where and Nori would be free again.

Here Nori was, back in town, trying to do a little shoplifting before the market closed and he snuck home to see Ori. He hadn't been caught here for a few years, so he was feeling fairly safe.

“ _Thief_!" The feral bellow echoed across the market, and since Nori didn't currently have his hand on anything that wasn't his, he looked curiously toward the voice.

Bald tattooed head, crooked nose, ferocious eyes pinned on Nori, axes in hands and bearing down on him as fast as he could through the crowd.

_Mahal, he's perfect..._   
_NOT the time_   
_step one of brilliant escape plan: over the vegetable seller's carts_   
_step two: through the stables_   
_step three: over the wall_   
_step four: double back across the roofs_   
_step five: through the jeweler's stall_   
_oooh, nice pin. Go well in Dori's hair... take it_   
_step six: around the watchtower_   
_step seven: through the clothes shop_   
_step eight: out the back of the shop into the alley, spin round the corner, up the alley to the left and then_

An enormous hand like iron slammed him into the wall. A somehow achingly familiar axe blade bit into his throat.

_ah..._   
_step one: go very very still_

The giant, Dwalin, was glaring down at him, and this time it was different because this time he was angry. The blade against Nori's throat was practically shaking with it. He leaned into Nori, pressing him hard against the wall. Dwalin's breath was hot on his face when he spoke.

“Give me one reason not to slit your throat.” he rumbled.

_step two: ignore that he is big and strong and warm and that voice..._   
_step three: Do. Not. Moan._   
_step four: think of a good answer_   
_moaning is not a good answer_   
_try a smile, a nice 'sorry for the trouble, guardsman, please not the knuckle-dusters' smile_   
_Nonono, wrong smile_   
_not again!_

Nori flashed the shark smile, felt Dwalin's fingers clench in the fabric of his tunic.

“I never hurt nobody,” he said, truthfully.

_you know it's a double negative, and he likely knows it's a double negative, but will he know that you know it's a double negative?_   
_probably not_   
_oh, but he's still angry, the way he's breathing..._   
_bet he breathes like that when he fucks, growling through his teeth while he_   
_NOT the time_   
_remember: knuckle-dusters, axe against throat, angry expression_   
_stay very still_   
_keep smiling_

The axe against his throat loosened very slightly. Dwalin leaned down until their foreheads practically touched. The vibration of his voice sparked clear down into Nori's core.

“Turn around, hands behind your back.”

_Do NOT moan_   
_he's so close, so close, and he smells so rough... just grind up against him, and moan, and_   
_and what?_   
_get the knuckle-dusters to the face because he's not interested?_   
_just do as he says._   
_it's not a bad jail, and it's not too hard to escape_

 

Soon enough Nori was flung into a cell. He rolled to his feet to lean against the wall while Dwalin locked the door behind him, but this time Dwalin didn't leave. He sat down, leaning against the wall, and just stared at him. 

It got boring to stare back after a while, so Nori explored his cell. It was nearly identical to his last, and not very interesting. He lay down for a nap.

That evening some of the guards made Dwalin up a bed in the corridor right outside Nori's cell because the giant had decided he was not leaving. This was going to make things interesting. Just how much could Nori sneak past an old soldier on guard?

The stalemate of glaring-but-not-talking got boring on the second day, and Nori's hair was still a mess from the chase. If he was going to be stared at, he might as well look good.

He leaned against the bars toward the giant. “Could I get a comb?” he asked, pointing toward his ruined hair.

Dwalin just stared, for the longest time. Nori was almost tempted to stop giving him the shark smile and tell him to forget it when Dwalin finally reacted. The giant stood, slowly, walking up to the bars so he was towering over Nori. He reached into his tunic just as slow and brought out a simple wooden comb, held it just out of reach.

“I get this back, whole and undamaged, or I will destroy your pretty face, understand?”

Nori nodded, and the comb was placed in his hand.

_it's his comb_   
_do you think it smells like him?_   
_NO don't smell it!_   
_just go, sit down, and brush your hair_   
_wait, he called you pretty_   
_that's new_

Nori held the comb between his lips as he carefully undid the braid up the back of his head. He palmed the little pieces of metal he kept stashed in it, right in front of Dwalin.

_mmm... it does smell like him, all raw and animal and_   
_stop that_   
_focus_   
_this is reckless, what did you think you were doing?_   
_distract him_

“If you think I'm pretty, you should see my brother. He's fuckin' gorgeous.” Nori commented, taking the comb out of his mouth. It was true, Dori had always been a real beauty.

“Rather not meet any more of your family.” Dwalin growled ferociously. He glared as he sat himself back down in his self-appointed watch space.

_of course, guilt by association_   
_the reason he has no idea what your real name is_

Nori secreted away all the little bits of metal from his braids up his sleeves, and started to comb. He was about halfway through getting the tangles out when he glanced over at Dwalin, just a quick glance, through his hair. The giant seemed mesmerized. His eyes were wide, breath quick, nostrils flaring as he stared at Nori.

_don't smile, don't smile, don't let him know you saw_   
_do you think... do you think he likes hair?_   
_of course he likes hair, everyone likes hair, but do you think he likes it more than everyone?_   
_bet he likes to grab big handfuls of it and bury his face in it while he fucks – give it a little pull as he pounds into..._   
_stop that_

Nori swung his hair around to give Dwalin the best view of it, cascading over his shoulder and across his chest to pool in his lap. He ran the comb down it gently. It took him a very long time to brush his hair. Part of it was for show – his furtive glances confirmed that Dwalin was still mesmerized – but it also felt good to just relax and experience this small comfort.

Finally he braided his hair back up, choosing to leave his tools up his sleeves for the moment. He pulled the shed hair off the comb and walked back over to the bars, offering it back with a smile. It came out a shark smile, but still a smile.

Dwalin took it back roughly, shoved it into his pocket, and sat himself back down. He glowered as hard as ever.

Nori fiddled with some straw to keep himself entertained, and then took a nap.

 

That afternoon Dwalin was finally convinced to go home for a few hours to bathe and change his clothes. Another guard promised to stay with Nori. The relief guard was much friendlier. Nori was leaning through the bars sharing a good story and a laugh with the guard when Dwalin returned.

The other guard didn't see Dwalin. He was turned the wrong direction, laughing. The giant stood seething, bright red rising up his cheeks to the top of his tattooed head. Nori looked up, catching Dwalin's eye, and smiled.

It was all shark.

_wear him out_   
_make him understand that there is nobody he can trust to watch you except himself_   
_let him get tired, let him get bored and exhausted of this_   
_then he'll make a mistake and you'll be free_

The relief guard received a truly beautiful dressing-down. Dwalin clearly knew what he was doing there. The guard was picked up by the back of his neck, shaken like a rat, thrown down, and then lectured loudly about not making friends with criminals.

He was terrified.

Nori sauntered back to his bed and lounged out on it, enjoying the show.

_If a smile can rile him up that good, imagine how you could rile him up in bed_   
_the right look, the right word, the right touch and he'd turn into a wild beast, all teeth and muscles and..._   
_enough of that, enough of that_   
_not the right time_

Soon enough the disgraced guard was dismissed and Dwalin sat in his spot. The stalemate continued.

Nori didn't stop smiling.

 

Dwalin was clearly flagging on the third day, snapping and growling at anyone who came close. He'd been trying not to sleep two nights in a row, but he would not hear of anyone taking his place.

Nori was bored of the food.

Dwalin ignored any of his attempts at conversation, so Nori spent some time flicking pieces of straw to see which one flew further.

Dwalin fidgeted. He did not have any straw to play with.

That evening Dwalin's bed was made up in the corridor again, though the other guards tried to convince him to let someone else watch. Dwalin slept fitfully the first half of the night, but as the second half began he finally fell into true sleep.

Nori folded his blanket before he fetched the some of the little pieces of metal out of his sleeves. He assembled it into an adjustable key, and went to work on the door. Lovely thing about Dwarven prisons as opposed to human ones, the hinges never squeaked. They were far too proud a craftspeople for that. Nori locked the cell door behind himself and padded past the heavily sleeping Dwalin. He paused to place a little gift on the Dwarf's chest before finding his belongings and making his way out into the night.

They really should make the guard's rounds less predictable. They were far too easy to dodge. Nori allowed himself a small smile and a little swagger as he walked away.

He had a few things to pick up before he went home.

 

“Nori?” Ori's voice was sleepy. The kid had good ears, Nori never could sneak in without him hearing.

“No, it's a stray cat,” he whispered back.

“Nori!” Ori catapulted himself out of his room and into his brother.

“You're so big!” Nori complained. “Who gave you permission to grow while I was away?”

“Not Dori,” Ori made a face. “He doesn't give permission for anything!” He took his brother's hand and lead him into his bedroom, where he lit a candle. He sat on the edge of the bed, smiling.

“I knew you were going to come soon. I heard someone got arrested who disappeared without a trace last time, and the best guard was watching him specially to make sure it didn't happen again!” Ori grinned.

“I got you something," Nori smiled back at his enthusiastic brother. He reached into a pocket to remove a little vial of powder. “Blue ink, the brightest blue you can imagine,” he whispered. “Just mix it with a little water.”

Ori took the vial, eyes shining.

“Now, tell me where you heard this story about guards...”

Ori bounced on the edge of the bed, “My Master Balin, that I'm apprenticed to, he's the brother of Dwalin, the best guard in Ered Luin, and he was going on about his brother's obsession with some thief who disappeared...”

_oh_   
_oh of course_   
_the rhyming names, of course they were brothers_   
_this complicates things. make sure not to give Ori anything that Dwalin might recognize as something you took_   
_the ink is safe enough_

Nori smiled, rubbing his brother's back, as Ori told him everything about his life.

 

“How dare you show your face in this house!” Dori hissed. Nori rolled his eyes, pulling something out of his sleeve and tossing it to his brother.

Dori caught it, of course, and didn't even spill a drop of the chamomile tea he'd been furiously stirring. He was always so fussy before breakfast.

“I ought to call the guard this... ooooh,” Dori closed his eyes mid-rant, cooing softly as he rubbed his thumb on the texture of the thing he'd caught. “Silk...” he whispered. “Reeled silk thread."

“Undyed, so you can make it how you like,” Nori commented. “And then you can embroider it into whatever you like and it'll be gorgeous.”

“I... I ought to throw this back at you! It's stolen goods,” Dori hissed, but his thumb rubbed against the silk thread again and his eyes softened.

“I'll be gone tonight,” Nori promised. “I just need someplace to stay for a single day.”

Dori's jaw tensed, his lips pursed in distaste, but then Ori came down for his breakfast. He grinned from ear to ear, his apprentice braids freshly plaited with a new ribbon Nori had given him. The knots on the ends said happiness.

“What's for breakfast?” Ori chirped. “I want porridge with honey and toast and milk!”

“That sounds wonderful,” Nori chimed in, grinning at the fuming Dori. “I got so tired of jail food, same bland old thing day after day.”

“I told you it was Nori,” Ori said, smugly.

Dori sipped his tea disapprovingly, and then started to make a family-sized pot of porridge. The silk had disappeared into his pocket. Nori and Ori shared a smile.

_oh, Dori, Dori, he's always wanted the finer things in life_   
_why won't he let you give them to him?_

 

Dwalin dreamed.

_brushing my fingers through waves and waves of the most beautiful red-brown hair, the texture softer than the softest silk... brushing back more and more until I finally reach the Dwarf at the center_   
_he's perfect, all lean body and quick hands, laughing confidence and flashing hazel eyes and_   
_that damn cocky smile_   
_Thief!_

Dwalin sat up with a gasp, heart pounding.

_I should not have fallen asleep I should not have fallen asleep I should not have fallen asleep_   
_...what's in my hand?_

Dwalin looked down. It looked like a piece of straw with

_a shape knotted around it in the most deliciously soft silky..._   
_no no no no no NO!_

The gray light of dawn was just beginning to filter into the jail, but it was more than enough to see a neatly folded blanket in a locked, empty cell.

Dwalin's shouting woke the entire prison.

 

“What does it mean?” Dwalin growled, slamming the tiny knotted dragonfly on the counter. Oin looked up at him mildly, then swept the piece of straw into his sleeve. He turned, smiling, to the little old Dwarf Dwalin had so rudely interrupted.

“I'll have young Gimli bring round the cherry bark syrup this afternoon, dear, will that work? Good, turn the sign on your way out would you? Thank you.”

Dwalin glared as the customer turned the sign to 'not open', and then back at Oin. He had taken the thief's leaving back out of his sleeve and was examining it with his jeweler's glass.

“Beautiful, beautiful...” Oin breathed. “The level of detail, mmm." He looked up at Dwalin with a small smile, “Are congratulations in order?” he asked.

“No,” Dwalin said, sharply. “Just tell me what it means.”

“Once again, your master knotmaker has not used any knot meanings. Extraordinary,” Oin smiled, examining the dragonfly again. “But a gift of one's own hair, if not a proposal of marriage, is at the very least  _flirtatious_.” The way Oin's lips twisted on the last word, an eyebrow half raised – the old fusspot meant it was an offer of sex but didn't want to say it.

_straddling me with all that silky red-brown hair falling across his shoulders, winding it around my fingers it while he rubs his lean body against me, his head thrown back in a deep moan as he_   
_No No NO!_   
_damn that thief!_   
_how dare he taunt me!_

Dwalin snatched the dragonfly back, intending to crush it... but somehow it was shoved into his pocket. It nestled against a knotted flower as he stormed out of the shop, stomping up the road to his own home.

He had been ordered to take a few days off, ordered to keep away from all guard duties. The only thing he wanted to do was search every inch of the city until the thief was found, bludgeon him into little pieces, put his head on a pike as a warning, and...

Dwalin forced himself to sit down on his bed, breathing deeply through his nose.

_this is why I have been taken off duty_   
_I should not be taking this personally._   
_much as I want to and he deserves it I can't kill the thief, and I would if I found him so I can't_   
_why is this so personal?_   
_he made it personal, he made it personal with that damn cocky smile_

He took the flower and the dragonfly out of his pocket and put them on his bedside cabinet.

_when did he even have time to make it? I was watching him, I watched him for three days and all he did was smile and lounge_   
_he never had time!_

Dwalin took the comb out of another pocket and stared at it.

_I won't put my lips where he put his lips I won't put my lips where he put his lips I won't..._

He flung the comb across the room, burying his face in his hands.

_this is bad_   
_I wish I was fighting orcs_   
_fighting orcs is simple_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to learn more about Nori's key, check this out: http://archiveofourown.org/works/680732/chapters/1250802


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwalin doesn't always catch Nori.  
> This chapter has less (or... no) sexual tension, but it didn't seem fair that Nori was always getting caught. He is, after all, a professional.  
> In exchange, we get to see more Ri Brothers cuteness.

Nori was careful.

It was clear that Ered Luin was not safe for him as long as a guardsman named Dwalin was in it. Even though it had been years since they ran into each other, it didn't do to become sloppy. Dwalin had proven his ability to hold a grudge. Nori stayed away as much as he could, and when he was in town he changed his hair to a different style – no need to give himself away with his three points. It was still big hair, and it still held a lot of things, but at least he wasn't so easy to recognize, for example, from behind and across the market.

The commotion started behind Nori and across the market. He turned to look, and really wasn't surprised that it was Dwalin charging toward him with murder in his eyes.

_mmm, beautiful, tempting... but not today_   
_you're faster than him_   
_smile_   
_run_

Nori could hear Dwalin start to call for guards.

_step one of brilliant escape: through the carriage yard_   
_step two: over the wall_   
_step three: down the alley_   
_step four: across the street_   
_step five: down the alley, turn right_   
_step six: over the wall, and the next wall_   
_step seven: down the street_

A hand grabbed his sleeve, and Nori whirled into it, razor sharp knife in his opposite hand.

_step eight: take a strong dislike to the young guardsman_   
_step nine: lay open arm of said guardsman_   
_step ten: kick idiot guardsman in stomach so he lets go_   
_step eleven: into the alley, up the wall, across the roof, down the wall into the next alley, across the street, through the butcher's shop, out the back, up to the roof_   
_step twelve: curl into the tiny shadowed space between the chimneys and go still. go very very still_   
_step thirteen: wait_   
_step fourteen: it's bad luck to use thirteen steps... do not laugh at the guardsmen who run shouting all over town?_   
_that works_

It was only a few hours after noon and he didn't dare move until full dark. Nori settled in for a very long day.

 

“Nori!” Ori pounced on him as soon as he crawled through the window, and Nori laughed.

“Isn't it your bedtime?” he asked. Ori made a face, towing his brother through the house to the kitchen, where some leftovers were wrapped up and waiting for him. Nori gave Ori an affectionate squeeze before settling down to eat.

“I told Dori you were coming today," Ori started, stealing a little piece of potato. “Dwalin came in to talk to Master Balin and he was  _so angry_! He was shouting and ranting about a disappearing thief, and he threw a bottle of ink against a wall! Master Balin had to throw him out!”

Nori chuckled.

“Did you really...” Ori asked, eyes wide. “Did you really cut a guardsman's arm off?” He dropped his voice to a whisper, half-horrified and utterly delighted.

“No,” Nori admitted. “But I did lay it open to the bone... teach  _him_  better than to grab hold of me!”

Ori shuddered gleefully, stealing another piece of potato, but then he sobered a little.

“I wish...” Ori said, quietly, “I wish I could write your adventures down, instead of copying old boring histories.”

“Oh, my adventures don't make good stories,” Nori swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. “Nori bravely runs away again! Nori takes something shiny and gets thrown into jail again! Nori hides in an uncomfortable spot for hours again!”

“Your adventures make the _best_ stories!” Ori defended. “You get to travel wherever you want and see the world and I just...” He mimed writing, “sit at a desk all day long... Dori never lets me do  _anything_.”

Nori wrapped his hand around the back of Ori's head, bumped their foreheads together.

“Not all of us are clever enough to be scribes,” he said, gently. “Dori's just proud of you, and wants you to do good.”

“Are  _you_  proud of me?” Ori asked, looking up at him with huge eyes.

“Always!” Nori kissed him on the forehead, releasing him. “Don't ever question that!” He rummaged in his clothes, looking for the present he'd picked up... that's where it had gotten to. Nori pulled the little book out of the back of his tunic, passing it to Ori who grinned widely as he took it.

“An illustrated guide to the flora of the... Nori, you didn't steal it, did you?” Ori's eyes were worried.

“The scribe was paid,” Nori assured him. He knew by now that Ori didn't like to think of other scribes being robbed of things that took so long to make. He'd waited for someone else to buy it and stolen it from them.

Ori smiled again, paging through the little book. He admired the workmanship and the subject matter while Nori finished his late dinner. The book had come from far away, so the script was slightly different than any Ori was familiar with. He mimed strokes in the air next to the page, trying to figure out the trick of it.

_oh, he complains, but he does love his craft_   
_still, you'd best make sure Dori lets him do other things too_

 

Dori and Nori shared a furious fight, and also a very quiet one, in whispers and hisses over the kitchen table once Nori had put Ori to bed.

“It is out of the question. I want you out of this house immediately!” Dori shoved the purse of gold back toward Nori.

Nori shoved it back toward Dori, “ _You_ were a trained fighter by that age, _I_ was a trained fighter by that age, there is no reason Ori shouldn't be trained! Hire whoever you want to train him, but he needs to know how to defend himself!”

Dori shoved it back, “He's a scribe, he has a _good life_. He doesn't need fight, not like we did.”

“He's a Dwarf. Would you have him be the only Dwarf in Ered Luin, in the Blue Mountains, in  _Middle Earth_ , who can't fight?”

“He doesn't have to!” Dori hissed. He shoved the gold into Nori's chest, hard enough to bruise, his lips thin with displeasure.

_oh, Dori..._

“I know...” Nori tried, carefully, aware that Dori was fully capable of ripping his arms off if he got angry enough. “I know it was hard for you, having to learn to be a fighter. It won't be like that for Ori. It'll be a game, getting exercise and playing with others his age. Then if he ever needs to fight, he'll know how.”

Dori turned away, arms crossed. Nori dared to venture a little further, putting the gold back on the table between them.

“You know that even the safest home, and the mightiest kingdom, can be brought low. He needs to know how to protect himself, and we both hope he never has to.”

Dori gave him a withering look, but did not push the gold away. “I want you out of this house,” he said sharply, looking away again.

“Even his Master Balin was once a mighty warrior,” Nori ended his argument, standing. “I'll be gone for a while.”

“Good,” Dori shot back. “The longer the better.”

_here's to hoping he's in a better mood by the time he discovers the set of circular knitting needles you got him or they'll end up smashed into kindling and thrown into the fire!_

 

Dwalin couldn't be too angry with the inexperienced guardsman who's arm had been split open for trying to grab that damn cocky thief. He could hardly believe he'd been swaggering around in broad daylight as if a simple hair change were enough to disguise him.

_I watched you for three days, thief, I know how you look, I know how you move, I know how you smell, I know how you feel..._

He did, however, make sure that everyone knew the way to catch the disappearing thief was to throw him into a wall. Tame as a lamb once you've thrown him into a wall. Now that he'd injured one of their own, Dwalin wasn't the only one looking for the thief.

An injury to one guardsman was an injury to all.

 

Nori was back in Ered Luin again. It was dangerous, but Ori had been happy to see him. In his most recent travels he'd bought a powdered plant that changed the color of his hair temporarily, so the thief who was slowly but surely fleecing the gambling table in the seedy little tavern this night had lustrous dark brown hair. He'd also changed his hairstyle again, just to be sure.

He was too confident in his disguise or he would have realized sooner that something was going on. As it was, he was completely unaware that anything was wrong until Dwalin walked in the door, flanked by two other guards. The giant's eyes immediately traveled to Nori, murder in his expression.

_smile_   
_tuck the purse we're gambling on into your tunic_   
_run out the back door_

A burly guard was waiting out there, of course. He grabbed Nori by the front of his tunic and threw him against the alley wall, slamming the air out of his lungs.

_curl in to protect your head, knees up, and... kick._

It was a beautiful kick. Nori landed a foot each for face and chest, knocking the guard backward at the precise moment when he was the most unbalanced from his throw.

Nori was up and over the wall, across the rooftops, and into the next alley before he got his air back. He coughed and retched as he ran.

_that was a coordinated effort to catch you_   
_how far do you have to go to be safe?_   
_all the way_   
_out of Ered Luin_   
_don't stop running_   
_Ori will understand_

 

Dwalin controlled himself.

Dwalin did not murder the guard who'd let the thief escape.

Dwalin did not yell at the idiot guard who'd let the damn thief escape.

The guard squirmed under Dwalin's gaze. He had a bloody nose. It was not from Dwalin.

“I threw him. I threw him into the wall like you said but he was too fast he kicked me down and he was up over the wall and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," the guard babbled.

Dwalin gestured him to silence.

He did not yell.

He did not hit anything.

He took a deep, deep breath.

“He'll be back. He always comes back,” Dwalin said, quietly. “I'll catch him next time.”

His fellow guards flinched away from him as he looked at them.

“Back to work,” he ordered.

Dwalin reached into his pocket. His fingers closed around a piece of straw decorated with a silky-textured knotted dragonfly.

_I will catch you, thief_   
_I will catch you, and lock you away, and make sure you never steal again_   
_that'll knock the cocky smile off your face_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is my personal headcannon for Dori, referenced in this chapter, that he didn't know how to fight until after Erebor fell and he had to learn to survive and protect himself and his family.  
> He hates fighting, but he's very good at it and also (canonically) the strongest Dwarf. Stronger than Dwalin.


	4. Chapter 4 redux

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: RAPE/NONCON THIS CHAPTER  
> In this chapter Dwalin catches Nori again, and Nori finally stops holding back that moan that always wants to come out when Dwalin's touching him.  
> Unfortunately, the sex is not all he hoped for.  
> 

Nori walked down the streets of Ered Luin. He tried not to swagger, trying to blend in with the early-risers going to work. He'd had a good night's work. He'd picked up more than one pretty piece of jewelry, and considerably lightened several purses with none the wiser. Now he just had to meet up with his favorite fence, and then it was back home for breakfast with Ori and a nap.

After several too-close shaves, Nori had decided that the only way to be safe in Ered Luin was to know everything about a certain enormous guardsman by the name of Dwalin. He knew where he was at all times and made sure not to be there.

This week Dwalin was working the night shift, and should be getting ready to go home too, but he was posted to a different part of town. No danger of meeting him here.

Up ahead two guards ambled along toward Nori. He very casually turned the corner onto a different street. Not likely that they would recognize him, with his hair all pulled back into three fat braids at the back of his neck, leaving just a few locks free at his temples to accent and obscure his face. Still, not worth the risk.

Two more guards turned a corner, coming toward him. Nori very very casually turned into a little restaurant, ducking quickly out the back into the alley.

There was a guard in both directions.

 _fuck_  
_not a coincidence_  
_step one of brilliant escape plan: up the wall_  
_step two: across the roofs_  
_step three: into the next alley_  
_step four: through the back of the baker's shop onto the next street_  
_step five: across the street,_  
_step six: over the wall into the next alley_  
_step six: quick right and then_

A huge hand slammed him into a wall and an axe blade pressed into his throat.

 _go still_  
_smile at the nice giant_  
_of course it would come out the shark smile_

Dwalin's eyes burned, his axe pushed firmly into Nori's neck while the giant pinned him to the wall. He leaned against him with most of his body, pressing the air out of him. Dwalin's breath puffed out of his nose in sharp bursts. The fingers of his free hand tangled in the locks of hair beside Nori's face, knuckle-dusters brushing his cheek.

 _Mahal yes, yes, he's so strong and so close, and he loves your hair_  
_does he even realize he's doing that with his hand?_  
_is he interested? do you think he's interested?_  
_you have to try, because if he's interested..._

Nori squirmed his hips slightly against the giant's body, and Dwalin responded with a growl, pressing in closer. His fingers clenched in Nori's hair, and Nori could feel the hard heat of his cock rising in his pants.

 _yes, yes, just like this, get your legs up around his waist with his teeth in your neck while he, while he,_  
_oh, yes..._  
_the other guards aren't too close, they're searching a few streets over_  
_it's dark and out of the way here, nobody will see_  
_perfect_

Nori let himself melt into the giant. He stretched up against him sensuously, rubbing his cheek against the knuckle-duster clad hand in his hair. His arms were pinned down, but he could still wrap a leg up around the giant's body, pulling him closer. He finally, finally, let his throat make the noises it wanted to, a hungry sound, starting low and cutting to high at the end in a question. He smiled up at Dwalin and of course it was the shark smile but that was right now.

_yes, you've finally got him where you want him_

Dwalin froze, not even breathing, eyes wide.

_please don't have misread him, please not the knuckle-dusters to the face, please with the fucking now_

The giant's fingers slid through Nori's hair, and Dwalin thrust hard against him – ground into his hip with a low growl in his throat. Nori moaned again, a rough whimper, arching back up toward the giant. He hitched his leg up higher, pulling that big hard body into his. He couldn't move as much as he liked, the axe blade was pressed to close to his throat, but there would be time to deal with that later.

Dwalin thrust against him again, two, three times, his breath panting hot against Nori's cheek.

 _he's so strong, he's so strong and he smells so raw and wild_  
_that tin of creamy salve up your left sleeve is full, right?_  
_good, good,_  
_oh, you should have tried this with him years ago_  
_you could have spent a lot more time in Ered Luin if you knew you could fuck him to get free..._

“...damn... thief... why...” Dwalin was growling, grinding against him. His fingers tightened in Nori's hair again, pulling roughly. Nori's neck moved under the axe blade, and he could feel it start to split the skin.

 _bad manners!_  
_the axe needs to go_  
_get him to drop the axe and fuck you already_

Dwalin let go of Nori's hair abruptly. His hand dove down to Nori's pants, the laces snapped as the giant forced them open. The axe pressed deeper, cutting into his neck as Dwalin shifted his weight.

“Axe!" Nori gasped out, reaching up.

Dwalin pulled back, adjusting his grip on the axe so Nori had more free space. Suddenly he was pushing away from Nori's grip, backing up.

_no, you're losing him! get him back!_

Nori grabbed the leather straps across Dwalin's chest with one hand, pulling him closer. He tightened the leg around the giant's body and ground against him.

“...fuck me,” he begged in a hoarse whisper. His second hand worked desperately on the laces of Dwalin's pants, untying them as quickly as Nori's clever fingers could. The giant groaned, leaning into it, rubbing his face against Nori's hair. Nori finally had Dwalin's pants unlaced and reached in eagerly.

_so thick, so hard, oh yes, it's going to feel so good..._

He only got a few strokes in before Dwalin pushed his hand away, pressing in to wrap his huge hand around both Nori's cock and his own. His knuckle-dusters were cold and dangerous against Nori's stomach as he stroked them together, thrusting into his own fist against Nori. He growled, eyes falling closed.

Nori whimpered as his body arched up into the contact. The roughness of Dwalin's calluses and the leather straps bordered on pain.

“...too rough,” he gasped. Dwalin let go with a curse, using his teeth to unbuckle his knuckle-duster. His eyes burnt down on Nori as the giant thrust against him, grinding him into the wall. Nori reached for the tin of salve in his left sleeve.

“Hands where I can see,” Dwalin growled, dropping the knuckle-duster to the ground, and Nori complied.

 _oh, keeping the axe isn't enough? he has to distrust you here, too?_  
_fine, do it his way._

Dwalin spit on his hand, gathering them both up to thrust against Nori again. His grip was hard but the slight slickness helped.

“damn thief,” Dwalin groaned into Nori's hair. “damn thief...”

Dwalin was thrusting furiously, all heat and energy and no subtly, and Nori was pushed over the edge far too quickly. He cried out sharply as his body's uncontrolled movements pushed his neck against the blade of the axe that had shifted into him again. He fought so hard to stay still and failed, failed utterly. The best he could do was twist his neck away so the axe had further to cut before it hit anything vital.

Dwalin was not done, still thrusting into the slickness between them, his hard hand still working them together. The brutal rawness of the over-stimulation and the sharp bite of the axe in Nori's neck blended into a single point of pain and pleasure moving far too quickly toward pure pain.

“Please!" Nori gasped, and the giant finally reached his climax.

“Aule's forges...” Dwalin choked out. He threw his whole body flush against Nori as he spent in bucking spasms against his stomach. The axe slipped further against Nori's neck.

 _stay calm_  
_stay still_  
_the axe isn't too deep_  
_you'll survive_  
_good thing you turned your head, though_  
_the healer on granitestone way doesn't ask questions, you can get there easily_  
_why did he want to keep the axe so much if he was just going to forget and cut you?_  
_rude_  
_very very rude_  
_bad manners_  
_should have known he would be a bad lay_

Dwalin finally drew back, breathing hard, eyes half-closed. He wiped his hand against the wall and ran his fingers down Nori's hair. He made a small pained noise as he noticed the axe, and drew it out of Nori's neck, but did not put it away. He kept Nori pressed to the wall with it. He gathered up most of their seed off of Nori's stomach, wiping it on the wall, and tugged Nori's pants up, awkwardly knotting what was left of his laces.

 _what is he doing?_  
_he should just let you go_  
_he has to let you go now!_

Dwalin slowly refastened the laces of his own pants as well as he could with one hand and wiped his bald head with his sleeve, moving slowly as though completely exhausted. He reached into a pocket and drew out a thick piece of cordage.

_he's arresting you_  
_he can't arrest you now_  
_that's against the rules!_  
_guardsmen aren't allowed to arrest you after they accept, even if it was disappointing!_

The tattooed giant turned Nori around, pressing the axe to the back of his neck instead. Tired as he might look, Dwalin's grip was no weaker than it had ever been.

“Hands behind your back,” he growled, and Nori complied.

 _this isn't how things are supposed to work_  
_how dare he!_  
_this is wrong!_  
_no no no!_  
_stay calm_  
_stay calm_  
_you can always escape from jail, it shouldn't take long_  
_damn him_  
_damn him for being so tempting and damn him for being a bad lay and damn him for being untrustworthy and DAMN HIM!_

Nori was frisked, most of his obvious weapons were confiscated, and was towed to the jail in icy silence. A rough bandage was placed over the cut on his neck and he was put chains - leg irons, manacles, and a chain running between and looped about his waist - and Dwalin threw him into a cell.

Nori rolled immediately up to his feet, glaring at the giant as he locked the cell.

“Double the guards on rotation,” Dwalin ordered sharply.

“You've caught the disappearing thief again!” another guard crowed. “You know, I think he does fancy you. He never lets anyone else get that close!”

Dwalin roared, grabbing the guard by the front of his tunic and throwing him bodily against the bars of a cell. The guard blanched, edging away from the giant guardsman.

“I didn't mean anything... you know we just tease...”

Dwalin turned away from him and the guard scurried away. Dwalin walked past Nori, who was still seething.

“Stay put this time you...  _thief_.” he spat, disgust clear in his voice. Nori's anger spiked, rage robbing him of the ability to remain tactfully silent.

“You're a muscle-brained bully!” he shouted at the guardsman's retreating back. “You're rude and untrustworthy and  _disappointing_!”

“I expected better!” he screamed. He managed, even with his range of motion limited by the chains, to throw the empty chamber pot against the bars with a satisfyingly loud crash.

 _oh, eloquent, throwing a tantrum like a child will show him_  
_pull yourself together_  
_calm down_  
_you'll be out of here soon_

He sat on the bed, pulling the blanket around himself to sulk.

“Got in a fight with the old wolverine, I see,” the occupant of the cell across from him grinned, working on her knitting. He recognized her from his first incarceration at Dwalin's hands. “You couldn't have made it sound more like a lover's spat if you tried. You know they tease him about that, he's obsessed with catching you.”

Nori glared at her.

“Not sure why you'd bother fighting him, mind, since you can just waltz right back out.” She made walking motions with two fingers, winking at him.

“I wasn't fighting,” Nori corrected. “...much good it did me.”

“What else were you doing? Dwalin's never been the type to...” her eyes suddenly went wide. She leaned forward, clearly sensing high quality gossip.

“Bad mannered, rude, untrustworthy,” Nori grumbled. “Disappointing” he added, acidly. He touched the bandage on his neck, which he could feel was beginning to bleed through, then flicked his fingers viciously in the direction Dwalin had gone.

“Oooh, I'll spread the word,” she cooed, delighted. “Though, I expect you'll be out before me.”

Nori wrapped himself tighter in his blanket. His hands, unseen, were hard at work knotting and knotting and knotting.

They brought him breakfast, but he did not eat it. He did not move from his blanket cocoon.

Eventually his untouched breakfast was taken away and a dinner replaced it.

Nori still did not choose to move.

_you'll be out of here soon, it's not worth eating their food_

As night fell, a guard came up to the bars – a quiet young girl, probably chosen for being the least intimidating guard in the jail.

“Are you unwell?” she asked. "Did Dwalin hurt you? You seem to be bleeding a little from your neck still. I can have a healer fetched if you need?”

“No,” Nori said, quietly. The guard took his uneaten dinner and left.

_why fetch a healer when you can go to one?_

Late in the night Nori slipped a thin pick out of a beard braid and unlocked his manacles and leg irons; slipping out of the chains and taking the pieces of his adjustable key out of his hair braids. He waited until the break between guards and stood, gathering up his chains in his tunic so they didn't rattle, folded his blanket, and unlocked his door.

He made sure to lock the door behind himself. He followed the path he knew well, though he only had half as much time to get from point to point since there were twice as many guards on rounds. He slipped into the armory, putting his chains away neatly before taking his belongings and sneaking out into the night.

He went to the healer on granitestone way and let her cluck over him as she cleaned and dressed his neck wound. It was more painful than dangerous, thank Mahal, though it would leave a scar.

Nori didn't go home. He kept to the dark and untraveled places, wall tops, and rooftops, and tree tops and other places where no self-respecting, heights-fearing dwarf would wander. He was in no mood for a chase.

He waited outside the small house shared by two brothers, one a guardsman and the other a scribe. He waited until the scribe left to start his day, before the breaking of dawn.

Nori climbed into the window of the guardsman brother, who would not be home for a few hours still. He did not steal anything, he simply moved things. All the things on the dresser were moved to the cabinet, all the things in the cabinet were moved to the dresser. The left boots were hidden up under the bed. The weapons along the wall were placed in reversed order. The wall tapestries switched places, and finally, the bed was remade with the head at the opposite end.

Nori placed his small knotted gift on the pillow and snuck back out the window.

He was home a little before dawn.

 

“Nori?” Ori's voice came out of his bedroom, where he was getting dressed for his day.

“...yes,” Nori answered, too tired to think up a clever answer. He had not slept in nearly thirty six hours.

Ori came out of his room curiously. His eyes grew wide when he saw the bandage on Nori's neck. His lower lip trembled as he drew his brother in for a hug, burying his head in the uninjured side of Nori's neck. Nori wrapped his arms around his not-so-little-anymore brother, holding him tight.

“It's just a little scratch,” he soothed.

“You escaped fast this time,” Ori commented.

“I wasn't in the mood to stay.”

“...let's get you some breakfast,” Ori took his brother's hand and lead him down to the kitchen. Dori was already there. He turned with a glare, but he bit back the sharp words so clearly on the tip of his tongue and instead opted to say nothing. He threw extra sausages on the pan, shoulders tight with displeasure.

Ori went back upstairs to continue getting ready for the day.

Nori sat at the table. “I'll be gone tonight,” he said. “I'm going far away. I think it's time I saw a little more of the world, so you don't have to expect me back too soon.”

_far away from a disappointing guardsman who doesn't follow the rules_

Dori put a plate of sausages, eggs, and toast in front of him.

“Good,” he said.

 

Dwalin was horrified at himself when the anger burnt off.

 _what possessed me to hold an axe to his neck and take my pleasure from him?_  
_why?_  
_why did I want him so badly I could do that?_

The word had gone out, in the middle of the night, that the disappearing thief had been spotted. Dwalin had insisted on leaving his assigned rounds to be a part of the roundup, and since he was still the only one who'd managed to collar the thief, they let him. He'd spotted the thief in the early dawn light, dancing along the edge of a roof with the cocky grace of a tomcat, eyes half-laughing as he ran.

_and his hair, that long red-brown hair, was loose around his temples_

Dwalin still wasn't sure how he'd managed to predict the thief well enough to head him off, catch him and pin him against a wall.

_and all that soft hair winding around my fingers, how did it even get in my fingers, and he was squirming against me and then he moaned and pulled me in and I..._

Dwalin had tried to stop. Aule forgive him, he'd _tried_ when he realized he was hurting the thief with the axe, but he'd been pulled back in. That strong lean body had been so hungry and perfect against his...

_and then I was too far gone to care, and I should never, never have let myself get to that state_

He could not stop playing over the distant, pained look on the thief's face when Dwalin was finally done, the blood seeping down his neck. The memory of a whisper of 'please' that he had been unable to understand at the time because he was so close, so close.

 _I hurt him, and even if I hadn't it still wouldn't be right to have done that_  
_it will never be right to hold an axe to someone's throat and do  that, never, never, never_  
_why?_  
_why did I want him so badly that I could do that?_  
_I am not the Dwarf I thought I was_  
_I am not the Dwarf my parents raised me to be_

Dwalin heard, before his next night shift was over, that the thief had escaped again. The guard who told him flinched as he did, expecting Dwalin to rage, but he couldn't summon even a spark of anger.

He turned around and walked away.

Afterward the thief had been so angry. He felt completely different. He moved with stiff disapproval in every line of his body as Dwalin towed him to jail, none of the cocky swagger he usually had. That poisoned glare to replace his usual smile when Dwalin threw him into the cell...

Dwalin should not have lost his temper at the other guard, but the tired joke had suddenly cut far too close to home.

The thief's screamed accusations had been hard, if confusing, but there was no denying that 'disappointing' was a bad thing to shout at a lover.

 _no, I am not his lover. I am not the lover of a thief. it was a momentary... insanity_  
_disappointing is the kindest thing he could have called me_  
_there are words for those who would take pleasure at axe-point_  
_I am normally the one who throws them in jail_

Dwalin had tried to resign. He was asked why, and he was too much a coward to tell the reason.

He had simply restated his desire to resign, but his superior had assumed he was ashamed that the thief had disappeared again. His concerns had been dismissed and he had been sent home to sleep.

“I can't lose my best guardsman.”

Nothing could have stung more.

_I am not a good guardsman, a good guardsman would never have done such a thing_

He searched the cell the thief had escaped, but there was no knot left behind this time.

Dwalin went home to try to sleep the day away. He opened his bedroom door.

He closed it.

He made sure he was in the right house, opening the right door.

He opened his bedroom door again. Everything was changed. Not quite right. Dwalin looked around in confusion. Why would Balin have done this? Balin never entered this room when Dwalin was gone.

Then he saw a piece of straw with a knotted shape on it laying on the pillow, and white-hot anger shot through him.

 _how dare he?_  
_this is my  home_  
_how dare that thief enter here and_  
_...how dare..._  
_...but how dare I do the thing I did to him?_

He picked up the piece of straw from his pillow. The ugly, sharp, knotted shape in gray and dark brown on it could only be his own hair.

Dwalin son of Fundin, guardsman, veteran of Azanulbizar, slayer of countless orcs and once noble of Erebor who survived the dragon and the long years of exile without complaint, crumpled onto his bed in a room gone unfamiliar around him. He buried his face in his pillow, curling in on himself as though he could hide from his own shame.

_disappointing is the kindest thing anyone could call me_


	5. Chapter 5 redux

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, mostly time just passes.  
> This chapter needed much less editing to make it agreeable to me and to suit the new story-cannon.  
> I feel like Anar and Vir were less necessary this time around, but I liked them so I let them stay.  
> (especially Vir because _grar_ )

Dori bit back everything he wanted to say to Nori as he cooked breakfast. Nori was pale, and looked tired, and angry, and hurt. There was a big bandage on his neck and a single spot of red blood was peeking through it. Dori would have given him a piece of his mind but the begging look Ori had given him, and the worry in his youngest little brother's face, calmed his tongue.

He wanted to scream, “what have you done now” and “who did this to you I'll kill them” and “how  _dare_ you worry Ori by coming here in this state”. He wanted to throw furniture against the wall until it broke into splinters, not that they could afford new furniture.

Nori promised to leave, and his voice was tired under his light tone. Nori, tired. Nori who never sat down, Nori who never wanted a moment's rest, Nori who ran and ran and ran and never stopped laughing at the world while he took everything he wanted from it.

Nori was tired, and hurt, and angry.

“stay and let me take care of you” Dori didn't say. He didn't say, “go as far away as you can it's not safe here for you and I worry about you.” He didn't say, “don't come back” and he didn't say, “stay away from Ori you're a bad influence and you always have been.” He didn't say, “I love you, please take care of yourself out there in the world.” He didn't say, “don't send us your filthy stolen goods.”

Dori put the food in front of Nori.

“Good,” he said.

 

Dwalin knew he couldn't take the ugly knot to Oin. He couldn't take it to _anyone_. The other knots hadn't said anything, but this one felt different. It was nothing recognizable, like the flower and the dragonfly. It was a spiky lump, and he had a feeling it said things.

Even if it didn't say anything, it looked angry. It could never be mistaken for a courting gift.

Dwalin wished he knew how to read knot language. He couldn't take it to Oin because it _might_ say what he had done to the thief. Nevermind having to explain how his hair had been taken to be knotted in the first place, which he did not know.

He could not leave the knot at home. Balin read some knot language, and if it _did_ say what Dwalin had done and Balin saw it...

It went into his pocket to nestle against the flower and dragonfly. It stayed with him, a sharp reminder of his guilt.

 

Ori had his suspicions. He didn't know what to do if they were true, and he didn't know if they _were_ true, so he kept his peace and worked hard and kept his ears open. Something had happened to Nori. Ori had never seen him look so hurt, even when he had injuries worse than whatever was hidden under that big bandage. Something had hurt Nori enough that it made him want to go away and not come back soon.

Dwalin was the one who always arrested Nori. Dwalin was the one who was obsessed with catching Nori. Ori had overheard enough conversations between Dwalin and Master Balin to know that. It made the most sense that Dwalin was the one who hurt Nori, but Ori didn't know if it was true and he didn't know what to do if it was.

Nori had only been gone for a few weeks when Dwalin came in to the library where Ori was working. Balin was not in. Dwalin looked lost in the library. The guardsman kicked his boots slightly, hands behind his back like a scolded child as he looked at the books.

“Can I help you find anything?” Ori asked. It was his job to help people find books, and when he wasn't doing that he was copying things. Dull, boring, things. He was glad of an excuse for a break, and maybe a chance to somehow confirm or deny his suspicions.

"I need something about knots,” Dwalin said uncomfortably. Ori smiled to reassure him and led him over to where books on knots and knot language were kept.

“My brother likes knots and knot language,” Ori volunteered, knowing full well that Dwalin would assume he meant Dori. “This is a very good basic guide,” he offered a slim volume.

Dwalin looked the book over, but shook his head and handed it back. “I need more than this. I need to read something complicated. Something bad.”

_you want to read something that says something bad_  
 _you could show it to someone who knows the language, but you're not doing that_  
 _is it because it says something bad about you? did Nori give you an angry knot? are you the one who hurt him?_

“You probably want a knot dictionary, then!” Ori smiled pleasantly, pulling out a larger tome. “This is the best one we have.”

Dwalin took it with a nod, and left without leaving a note for Balin. Ori shook his head and wrote one for him. Then he had to go back to his endless copying.

_I don't know what to do_  
 _I don't know if this is enough to prove anything_  
 _I should tell Dori, he'll know what to do_

 

 Anar, gentledwarf shopkeeper and purchaser of questionably acquired goods, shared a glass of wine in the back room with one of his favorite young traveling thieves. The thief was a sharp-witted dwarf with extravagant hair who had a different name every time they met. He had dropped by to make his customary stop for travel funds on his way out of the Blue Mountains. Anar was always happy to see him.

Their spirited but friendly haggling wore itself down until they were both pleased. They traded the thief's jewelry for Anar's gold coins.

“Always a pleasure to do business with you, my friend, always a pleasure,” Anar smiled. He tucked the jewelry into his jacket while the thief did the same with the gold. “And speaking of pleasure,” Anar leaned close, “how about I throw you against the wall and fuck you until you scream?”

The thief drew back sharply and paused, for the first time in their acquaintance. He'd never been anything but eager to take up an offer. The thief's fingertips played along the bright red new scar on his neck, probably unconsciously. The look he gave Anar was suspicious, calculating, for just a little too long before he smiled. He pulled the shopkeeper in and press their bodies together hungrily.

“If you think you can handle me, oldtimer. Mahal I need a good fuck,” the thief groaned.

Anar easily lifted the lean thief to set him on the table. He lightly brushed his lips to the new scar before switching to the other side of his neck, biting down hard to make the thief gasp. As the thief whimpered and ground into him, Anar considered that it was probably inevitable. With the sort of reckless life the thief led something bad was bound to happen eventually.

Anar still wanted to bury his axe in the skull of whoever had scared the best fuck this side of the Misty Mountains, though.

 

Nori traveled far to the East to where the common tongue stopped being so common and was spoken only by merchants and travelers. He dyed his hair and beard black to fit in better, but he had a funny accent and was still far too pale and he was stared at wherever he went. That did not make for successful thieving, so he traveled back West a bit to the fringes between. He stayed where everything was blended and nobody looked twice.

Nori found that he liked those lands. People were always traveling through, always going places, never settling. He got to meet more kinds of locks than he had ever before, and he learned how to defeat each one. He got thrown into new and interesting jails and broke out of them. Nori enjoyed being able to choose from the very finest trade goods for things to send home to Ori and Dori – rare inks and little books in strange languages for Ori, uncommon fibers and exotic teas for Dori. He never sent presents from the same town twice, and he never sent a return address.

He spent many happy years wandering the borderlands.

Once, he even tried to be respectable - in his own way. Nori had no great skill in writing like Ori, or in craftwork like Dori, and he didn't want to hire out his skills as a warrior. While he knew one end of a forge from the other he was no great smith, so he settled for the only thing other than theft he was good at.

Knots.

Nori stole a variety of ribbons, threads, and buttons from a passing caravan and set up shop in a brand new town, knotting all sorts of things from meaningless pretties like dragonflies and little jewel-eyed frogs to marriage knots and love poetry in knotted form. He set himself up in the market, and enjoyed the challenge of trying to _attract_ attention to himself instead of diverting it away.

His simplest item was the most popular - it suddenly became fashionable for young girls to wear a ribbon in their hair knotted with their own name. He made the most money on a few intricate proposal knots made with the young suitor's own hair. It was fun for a month, but then he grew bored. There was a rich man in town who had kicked dirt in the general direction of the knot maker's stall, so Nori robbed him blind and moved on.

Lately he found he was thinking of Ori more and more, wondering how the lad was doing. Nori decided that, if he was careful, he could go back to Ered Luin for a quick visit. Not long enough to get picked up by the guards, just long enough to see that his family was well.

Soon.

First, there was just one more town to see, one more caravan to plunder, one more pocket to pick...

 

Dwalin's strength was not in book-learning. It took him months of occasionally looking at the ugly knot with a jeweler's glass and looking through the book to discover that there were at least a few meanings in the knot. _Hurt, betrayal,_ and _unfair_ were the three meanings he was able to decipher before he gave up for good and took the book back to the library.

Dwalin spent some time listening, too. It was not something he did naturally, unless he was being given an order. He listened in to the other guardsmen, particularly those who were known to be shady. A good deal of what he learned turned his stomach, like the discovery that trading sex for walking free was distressingly common. He had started to listen in in hopes that he was not alone - he was disgusted to discover that not only was he not, others were _proud_ of what they did.

There seemed to be unwritten rules for how it was done, though not every guard seemed to agree on all of them.

There was some contention on the first rule, which seemed to be that you asked how they wanted to do it. A vocal minority ferociously maintained that once the criminal had offered they were yours to do with as you would.

Secondly, you never hurt them. The rationale on this was that if word got out, nobody would be offering you anymore.

Lastly, and there was no argument on this rule, you never went ahead and arrested them afterward. It was just _not done_. If they had done something you _had_ to arrest them for, you didn't take them up on the offer.

Dwalin had spent his life being proud of the fact that he could completely ignore people and things he disapproved of, like shady guardsmen. He had known none of this. In retrospect it was clear this sort of arrangement was what the thief was after, but Dwalin had not known. He had broken all three rules spectacularly.

He wished more than anything that he had just arrested the damn thief. That did not have any sort of deterrent effect on this particular thief, who seemed to be able to slip out of jail like mist, but he should have. A good guardsman would have simply done his job. A good guardsman would not have let his anger and lust get the better of him the way Dwalin had.

The years wore on and the disappearing thief did not resurface in Ered Luin, and Dwalin was glad of it. Most days he could forget about him, and his cocky smile, and that silky hair, and his blood seeping down an axe blade.

Dwalin kept the ugly knot of his own hair in his pocket at all times as a reminder that he was capable of terrible things. He kept it to keep himself vigilant, so that he never did _anything_ like that again. He quietly advocated for changes to guard rules, schedules, and duties that made the most egregious of the abuses he was now aware of more difficult to get away with.

 

Vir tipped her head to the side with a small smile, waiting for Nori to answer, and he considered her offer. She was truly a beauty among beauties, with glowing warm brown skin and red garnet beads in her thick black beard. She had a fondness for sleeveless tunics, so her impressive biceps were always on full display.

_will she break the rules?_  
 _will she be any good?_  
 _will she... will she..._  
 _stop_  
 _how long does that damn guardsman have to dog your steps?_  
 _this is Vir, you've been lusting after her for weeks_  
 _imagine those powerful legs wrapped around you, cradling you in those strong arms while you tangle your bodies together, drawing the little growls and moans out of her_  
 _oh, yes yes yes_  
 _bet she laughs afterward, she seems the type, and you can lay across her stomach while she giggles and pets your back until she's ready to pin you down for another round_

Vir picked at a nail with a little dagger, raising an eyebrow at his long pause. Nori laughed a little at himself, and Vir reached over, squeezing his hand.

“I promise to be gentle,” she coaxed. Nori raised her hand to his lips and kissed her combat-callused knuckles one by one. She smiled, allowing him time.

_she's so big and strong, and so beautiful_  
 _mmm... she smells like metal and fire_

Nori flicked his tongue quickly into the crease between her fingers, looking up at her from under his eyebrows to watch her breath catch. “I'd prefer it if you weren't,” he decided.

“...weren't...” Vir didn't quite follow.

“Weren't gentle with me."

“We'll see where it takes us,” she said. She bounced to her feet with a laugh, turning back just once to make sure Nori was following.

He followed.

 

When Nori finally decided it was time to check on his baby brother in person, he first spent two days circling the outskirts of Ered Luin. He prepared bolt-holes and hiding spots, clearing out his old ones and finding new ones. He didn't go into the city proper until after dark. He moved fast, keeping high and out of sight.

He did not want to risk meeting any guardsmen.

Nori circled around the house, trying to make sure Dori and Ori still lived there before he waltzed on in. What finally decided him was a knotted ribbon pendant hanging on the window Ori always left unlocked for him. Nori remembered making it for Ori once when his brother had been sad. It was a silly thing in the shape of a kitten with no meaning in it, but it was bright and pretty and had made little Ori happy.

The window was unlocked, and he slipped in through it. He crept down the hallway, heart in his throat.

_he probably doesn't even listen for you anymore, you've been gone so long_  
 _what makes you think he'll want to see you anymore_  
 _he's probably angry you've been gone so long..._

“Nori?” A voice asked... not so young as the Ori that Nori remembered.

“No, it's just the wind,” he answered.

“Nori!” Ori shouted. A dark shape crashed out of the room, slamming into Nori at full force. Ori hugged him so hard his ribs creaked - he was going to have a little of Dori's strength after all.

“Careful, careful!” Nori laughed, “I'm breakable, you know!”

Dori came out of his room with a lamp, looking his old fussy self in his nightclothes. Nori gave him a cheeky smile and a wink, and Dori huffed indignantly. He lit a lamp in the hallway for them and retreated back to his own room.

“Let me see you!” Nori pushed Ori back and grinned at his brother. He tweaked the little braids in his beard and bopped the handsome nose that was beginning to grow in. “You're so big!” he complained.

“You look good!” Ori said, tugging at Nori's clothes. They were made in the Eastern style, different from what you'd find in the Blue Mountains.

“The East was good to me.” Nori agreed.

“You have to tell me everything!” Ori's eyes glowed as he picked up the lamp and towed his older brother into his room.

“You first,” Nori teased.

“No, you first!”

_why did you wait so long to come home?_


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> less sexual tension in this chapter, but plot is starting to happen!

There were rumors that the disappearing thief was back in the Blue Mountains - whispers of sightings in the towns near Ered Luin, but never _in_ Ered Luin. Some who heard the whispers were not happy to hear he was back, saw him as competition, would very much like to put a knife in him. Others were glad to see him back, happy to hear his stories and buy his stolen goods and maybe share a rough tumble. If they noticed that he was quicker to run and draw a knife, and slower to take up a tumble, they didn't mention it.

Dwalin might have heard the rumors if a certain whisper of _'untrustworthy'_ hadn't followed him in the worst circles of the city. No one put themselves forward to give him the information. He was taken completely by surprise when he saw, out of the corner of his eye, the shape of a swagger that...

_Thief!_

Dwalin spun and locked eyes with the thief. The thief was wearing clothes of an unfamiliar make, his red-brown hair braided up in elaborate coils - but even after all the years it was unmistakably him. Before the image even made it through Dwalin's brain the thief had spun on his heel, gathered his lean body, and darted away through the crowd.

“Thief!” Dwalin roared, giving chase. He pushed his way through the late evening foot traffic, calling the attention of the other guards. He directed them with quick hand signals as he tried to head the thief off, working on instinct rather than thought.

_catch him, catch him, catch him,_  
_lock him up_  
_with that cocky smile and those clever hands_  
_grab him and throw him into the wall and push against those lean muscles and my fingers in all that soft soft hair..._  
_NO!_

Dwalin's feet stumbled to a stop in the alleyway. He screamed wordlessly, punching the nearest wall. It stung, even with his knuckle-dusters taking the brunt of the damage.

_blood on an axe blade and a sharp ugly knot of my hair_  
_Aule forgive me_  
_I cannot... I cannot..._

Dwalin stood trembling for long moments before he pulled himself together. He reached into his pocket to touch the knot of his hair, and breathed. When he was composed, he walked out of the alleyway.

_I cannot chase him_  
_I cannot trust myself if I catch him_

The other guards were still scattering, trying to find the thief, and Dwalin let them. They didn't find him, of course.

At the end of his shift Dwalin tried again, unsuccessfully, to resign.

 

After the unexpected brush with Dwalin, Nori knew he had to be more careful again. It was an unforgivable lapse in vigilance to have been unaware of the change in Dwalin's rounds.

_damn guardsman_  
_time to leave Ered Luin again_  
_probably for the best, Dori would probably get angry enough to rip your arms off soon_

Once the search had been given up and the night was dark, Nori crept out of his hiding spot and made his way back to the house his brothers lived in to say goodbye to Ori before he left.

Nori traveled back East, to the borderlands that had been so kind to him. He had not been there a full year when he heard the news.

He laughed, at first, along with the rest of the cutthroats and such in the seedy tavern. They knew full well that the news was not meant for the likes of them, but it had traveled from whisper to whisper faster than the wind as news would.

Nori laughed, because even _he_ wasn't that reckless. Erebor was a fool's dream, a pretty story the oldtimers told when they were in their cups. Nori had never seen it. He had been born afterward, in the wandering years. Oh, he had seen the mountain far away in the distance, but he had never been drawn to it. They said there were rivers of gold and jewels, true, and that made his fingers twitch, but there was also a Dragon that had sundered families and lay whole houses to ruin.

No, the king-in-exile would not be getting the help of any thieves. They were too sensible, those who were still alive. A thief knew when to cut their losses and run, they knew how to tell when a job was too big to be taken on - and if ever a job was too big to be taken on it was this one.

The useless king would set off with a band of old soldiers loyal to him, no doubt, and family. He might gather up a few soppy dreamers who never gave up the dream of the life they had in Erebor, and romantic young fools who didn't know any better. They would all be fantastically loyal to the king-in-exile, and they would all die.

Nori's companions gave him a strange look as he choked on his mead, face gone pale.

_Dori and Ori_  
_they wouldn't..._  
_soppy old dreamer and romantic fool_  
_both loyal to the king_  
_they would_

Nori stumbled out the back door of the tavern and stole the fastest looking horse he could see.

 

Dwalin finally resigned his position as guard the moment he heard Thorin was leading a company to retake Erebor. Oin, deaf old fusspot, said the time was right, and he and his brother Gloin, Dwalin's cousins, were going. Balin resigned his post as a librarian and scribe, and began to work as the accountant and lawyer for the quest. They were the first four, after Thorin's nephews, to swear on to the Company.

Dwalin was still warrior enough to know how dangerous their road would be. He remembered dragon fire and he knew what it was like to lose family to battle, but he was happy. He remembered the gleaming gold and the peace and plenty of Erebor. He saw the fire of the dream in Thorin's eyes and he knew he must help. It was sometimes one warrior who turned the tide of battle, and if Dwalin could be that warrior he would, or die protecting the one who was.

He had been too long chasing thieves.

Erebor was calling.

 

It took more than one stolen horse to make it back to the Blue Mountains. Nori arrived sore and weary, but faster than he had thought possible. He left his final horse a town over and made the rest of the way by foot.

It was the middle of the night when he arrived. He pried open Dori's window and climbed in and was not surprised when he was greeted with a sword. He'd made enough noise to make sure his brother was awake.

“You can't go,” Nori said. “You  _can't go_!”

“Nori?” Dori's voice was confused. He lit a lamp and confronted him in all his fussy glory, rumpled nightclothes and a sword in his hand. “What is this about?” he snapped.

“You can't go on the quest with the fool king. You'll die,” Nori pleaded. “Erebor's gone. You can't get it back, it's gone!”

“Nori?” Ori's sleepy voice drifted out of his bedroom.

Dori huffed, putting his sword away and re-locking his window. He took a hard grip on the back of Nori's neck and towed him out of the room and down to the kitchen. Ori followed, confused. Dori threw Nori in the general direction of a chair and stirred up the fire, putting on a kettle for tea.

“Now,” Dori said, leaning across the table toward him. “What's this about the King taking back Erebor?”

Ori made a strange strangled sound, and both elder brothers turned to look at him. He turned red as he ducked away from their eyes, fidgeting in his gloves.

_for all you he's so good at keeping your existence a secret, the poor boy is terrible at secrets_  
_he can't go_  
_this is Dori's fault_

“This is your fault!” Dori shouted, punching the table as he glared at Nori. “He would never have considered it without your bad influence!”

“My fault?” Nori shouted back, kicking the table so it hit Dori in the stomach. “If you didn't stifle and mother-hen him so bad he wouldn't _have_  to join suicide missions to get away from you!”

Ori covered his face with his hands and started to cry.

 

One smashed table, a good night's sleep, and a change of clothes later - Dori Nori and Ori walked together as brothers for the first time since Ori had been a knee-high scamp. They headed to the place where one Thorin Oakenshield, king of very little, was holding his court and gathering a Company to die valiantly on a fool's dream with him.

 _if we have to die, at least we can die together_  
_maybe if you're there, when things get bad, you can convince them run_  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed. I'm looking forward to the next few chapters.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwalin and Nori get properly introduced. Finally.

It was Ori's fault, in the end. He said he'd already promised Balin he was going, and couldn't back out. Dori tried to argue that since he had not signed a contract yet there was no legal binding on him. Nori offered to hamstring him, since that would disable him without hampering his work as a scribe.

Dori had actually seemed to consider it, but then Ori mentioned the wizard and Dori suddenly stopped arguing the 'don't go on suicide quests' angle with Nori. Ori described the quest and Dori nodded and then _Dori was going too_?

So Nori came with them, because they were his brothers. He dressed himself well, and brushed his hair up in the three peaks he preferred, and hid his tools in it. He looked good as he walked with his brothers to sign up for death.

_oh Ori, you have two brothers who are willing to die with you_

It did feel good to walk beside his brothers like a respectable Dwarf, instead of one who snuck in and out the window in the night and was never seen. It was nice to be with them, rather than be the brother more rumored to exist than known. Nori took the right side of Ori and Dori took the left, and they walked together. Dori looked a little grim, but Ori was smiling.

Nori had managed to get his brothers to agree that they would join the Company all three together or not at all. He could only hope that someone in Thorin's hall would recognize him and throw him in jail to ruin the whole thing. They did not have long to wait before they were ushered into audience with the king. Thorin sat behind a wide table, a few other Dwarves at his sides.

_oh, of course Dwalin would be here_   
_praise Mahal, he'll put an end to this_   
_he's already spotted you_

Dori did not seem to realize there was a problem. He stopped them the proper distance from the king and started their introductions.

“Dori,” he introduced,

“Nori,” Nori added

“And Ori,” Ori finished

“The Sons of Kori,” Dori said proudly. All three put their hands over their hearts and bowed, Nori perhaps a little less deeply than he should have. They straightened.

“At your service,” they said together.

_Dwalin's taking his time about this, usually he's chasing you by now_   
_look at the red rising up his cheeks_   
_this is going to be beautiful_   
_possibly deadly, but beautiful_

“We offer our loyalty to yourself and this Quest,” Dori said.

Thorin nodded grandly, “I am honored to have the loyalty of the family of Kori. I remember your father well, without his brave sacrifice I and my Family would not have survived the dragon. Now, if you could tell me a little of what you feel you can offer...”

_Dwalin's starting to stand, look at his hands clench_   
_look at the muscles in his arms, the veins in his forehead, the way he's breathing..._   
_his fingers bruising into your hips with his breath hot on your face while he slams himself into you and_   
_NO! No you will NOT want him_   
_untrustworthy!_

“No, Dwalin,” Balin murmured, pulling down on Dwalin's sleeve before turning to the King. “I can speak for young Ori, he is a fine scribe. His chronicles of this Quest would earn him his Master status, and he is versed in basic weapon work.”

“Nori is very well traveled, a fine fighter, and very resourceful,” Ori piped up, looking at Nori proudly.

“Dori is the strongest Dwarf in the Blue Mountains,” Nori added, since it seemed nobody was talking for themselves.

_he's just seething there_   
_what's holding him back?_   
_...give him a smile_

Nori locked eyes with Dwalin, and let the side of his mouth quirk up in the shark smile.

“ _You are no son of Kori, thief_!” Dwalin finally surged to his feet with a deep bellow. His hand reached back for an axe. On pure instinct, Nori had spun and would have been halfway out of the building if Dori hadn't snagged him by the back of the neck and held him.

“Peace, Dwalin!” Thorin roared, standing, “I will have no violence in this place!” Dwalin's hand dropped as though it had been burned, but he still stood, glaring at Nori, trembling with rage. Nori shrugged Dori's hand off and returned to his place beside Ori. His heart was still pounding from the adrenaline.

“I take it the two of you are acquainted?” Thorin said evenly, looking back and forth between Nori and Dwalin.

Balin looked at Dwalin, and then at Nori, and then back to Dwalin, his eyebrows rising higher and higher. “...he isn't...” Balin breathed.

“he is,” Dwalin growled through gritted teeth, hands twitching.

“Ori?” Balin turned back toward the brothers. Ori made a sound like a frightened sheep and hid behind Dori.

“Tell me.” Thorin's strained patience was clear in his voice.

“I have met him under several different names.” Dwalin was clearly holding down his rage, needing to follow his King's orders. “The guards call him the disappearing thief. Ered Luin jail cannot hold him.”

Thorin eyed Nori speculatively, “You come here, though you are wanted by the guard? Reckless.”

“What does he care for the guard?” Dwalin spat. “He cannot be held!”

“I'm sure you could find a way to contain him,” Thorin said.

Dwalin ground his teeth, staring at Nori as though he could cut him with his eyes alone. “I have tried,” he growled.

Thorin gave Nori an almost-smile, “My lieutenant has a high opinion of your skills, and you are offering them for this Quest?”

_no_   
_no no no_   
_this is not how that was supposed to go_

“I must wonder why, and you understand why I might question your loyalty?” Thorin continued.

“We're going together,” Ori piped up again. He crept out from behind Dori and smiled at both his brothers, squaring his chin to face the still stunned Balin and enraged Dwalin.

_you would die for Ori, and now you have the chance to prove it_

“You can be sure of my brothers' loyalty to you,” Nori said. “and I am loyal to them. They will go, and I will follow. I'll do what I can to keep them safe, and the rest of the Company.”

“But _you_ have no loyalty to me?” Thorin asked.

“No,” Nori refused to lie. He earned himself a hiss from Dori, a choked sound of rage from Dwalin, and an amused eyebrow quirk from Thorin.

“An honest thief, then,” Thorin said. “Sit, Dwalin. We will talk with the sons of Kori.”

“You cannot be serious?” Dwalin started. A look from Thorin had him bite his tongue and sit down.

“I need the skills of warriors on this quest,” Thorin explained to Dwalin as he gestured for chairs to be brought. “but I may have need of a great many other skills as well. If Master Nori is as skilled as you say, he may prove invaluable!”

“He'll steal everything and disappear into the night, if he doesn't slit our throats first,” Dwalin growled.

“Nori wouldn't!” Ori protested.

“If it helps, I'll be keeping a sharp eye on him,” Dori added.

“Would you slit our throats and disappear into the night?” Thorin asked as the brothers sat in their chairs. Balin began going through his case looking for contracts.

“I would not slit your throats,” Nori assured him, “I wouldn't disappear into the night as long as my brothers were with you, and they are loyal. They will follow you to the end.”

_right down the dragon's throat_

 

 Dwalin sat in the hallway, elbows on his knees and his hands on his head, breathing.

_I thought I could escape him_   
_I thought I could leave him behind with Ered Luin_   
_why, Aule, why must he torment me?_

He'd had to sit there and listen to the damn thief, to _Nori,_ disrespect his King and refuse to sign a standard contract. Instead of throwing him out Thorin had listened, and Balin made up a small contract especially for the Thief. Nori would be getting a full pardon at the end of the Quest. He would never be made to pay for his crimes.

_I couldn't make him pay for his crimes in the first place_   
_damn thief_   
_flashing that cocky smile because you knew I could do nothing in the King's presence_

And little Ori, that betrayal stung. His brother's own apprentice had known who the disappearing thief was all those years. Balin had mentioned it, as he was going over the particulars of the contract with the little scribe.

“You knew all along, didn't you laddie.” he asked. Ori had blushed crimson, looking at his boots before he squared his shoulders and looked back up.

“He's my brother,” Ori said, firmly. He reached out to grab a handful of the thief's tunic. “Wouldn't you do the same?”

Balin had smiled over at Dwalin. “Aye, I would,” he said.

Nori had reached over unconsciously to comfort his little brother, pausing his conversation with Thorin briefly to tap their foreheads together. Ori had glowed, with his eyes full of worship.

_and everyone was acting as though I were the strange one, but that thief has been mocking me for years and now he is ruining the Quest, and he will betray us at the first chance he gets, and why does he keep that ridiculous pointy hair I just want to pull it all out of its braids until it's a silky soft curtain around our faces while he moans into my mouth and I_   
_NO!_   
_blood on an axe blade and an ugly knot of my hair_   
_I do not want to want him_

Thorin came out into the hallway to sit beside Dwalin. “Can you work with him, for the good of our People?” Thorin asked, resting a hand on Dwalin's shoulder.

_you do not know what you're asking me, Thorin, I cannot trust myself around him_

“I don't know, Thorin,” Dwalin whispered.

“It will be different. You will working on the same side, and we have his brothers to keep him in check,” Thorin said. “He said he thought he could work with you, if you stayed out of one another's way.”

_and then he ran his thumb down the scar I put on his neck and he flashed me a smile as dangerous as shattered obsidian and how did you not see it and I have done a horrible thing and I am afraid that I will do it again_

“Will you try for me, Dwalin?” Thorin asked. Dwalin looked up at him, at his King. He had never been able to deny him.

“For you, Thorin. I would do anything,” he promised. His hand reached into his pocket, to touch a spiky knot that said 'hurt' and 'betrayal' and 'unfair'.

_Aule give me strength_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... not sure I can work this explanation gracefully into the script. Kori was a great warrior who died getting Thorin and his family out of Erebor. Dori and his Mother survived. Eventually, his Mother met someone else and Nori and Ori came along.  
> Dwarven law is a bit odd on paternity. Nori and Ori are legally the sons of a man who died long before they were born.  
> (I just wanted to make it make sense for Thorin to think highly of their family, and for the brothers to have a different father, as the cast has mentioned, while still having it plausible for them to have the rhyming naming scheme. Also I like to call them the Sons of Kori. It has a ring to it.)  
> Many thanks to GreenKangaroo for letting me use the name of Kori for their father. It is originally from her awesome fic Dirty Deeds (Done Dirt Cheap) which a major reason I have Nori/Dwalin feels. Go read it.


	8. my Knife to yours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Quest Begins!
> 
> *DUB-CON WARNING ON THIS CHAPTER*  
> -just so you're not caught off guard, though nothing goes very far.

In the months of activity leading up to the beginning of the Quest, Nori had managed not to be in the presence of Dwalin more than a handful of times. He spent most of his time out of Ered Luin. There was enough to do traveling through other parts of the Blue Mountains to prepare for the journey, making sure all of his gear was in the best shape it could be.

Nori only returned to Ered Luin when he was needed for meetings, and most of those meetings managed, somehow, to exclude the giant. He knew there were meetings that excluded him. When there were meetings that both had to attend, it seemed the other Dwarves of the company understood that Nori and Dwalin were not on good terms and took pains to keep a few bodies between them at all times.

They did not have to speak to one another, and as far as Nori was concerned that was a good thing.

_just stay out of his way until the quest is over_   
_the only reason you're here is for your brothers_

Nori came back to Ered Luin one time to find that Dori had had his old long-handled mace reconditioned. He hadn't known that Dori kept it. It was the kind of weapon Nori had trained with when he was young, before he turned to knives – before he turned to lighter boots with softer soles and clothes designed to carry all his most precious possessions close to his skin so they couldn't be so easily lost or taken. It was the weapon of a respectable Dwarf, a weapon to be used face-to-face instead of quietly from behind, in the dark.

Dori said nothing when he handed it to him. Nori took it, finding that his body still remembered how to hold it. It was a good sort of weapon for the sort of journey he would be on, where they were likely to encounter any number of Orcs or other enemies to be fought in groups.

_strange to think you'll be fighting respectable fights alongside respectable Dwarves_   
_...and then die horribly at the end_   
_can't forget the inevitable dying part_

Dori fidgeted with his sleeves, looking oddly proud when Nori gave the mace a few experimental swings but trying to hide it. Nori wasn't sure he could trust himself to talk through the sudden lump in his throat, so he silently reached over and took Dori by the back of the head to knock their foreheads together. Dori reached up and gripped Nori's shoulder almost hard enough to bruise.

_how many years has it been since we were just brothers like this?_

Nori left before he could mess it up by saying something wrong. He took the mace with him.

It was strange to walk around in Ered Luin in broad daylight without keeping an eye out for guardsmen. Nori had been given a temporary reprieve – until the Quest, and as long as he was not caught committing any crimes, he was ignored.

Thorin had made it extremely clear that if Nori were caught stealing before the Quest, unless he had been ordered to do so by Thorin, he would not only be removed from the Company and every effort made to hunt him down, but his brothers would not be released from their contracts. They would go without him.

Nori stayed out of Ered Luin unless he had a meeting to attend.

 

The time for the Quest to begin in earnest came far too quickly, and Nori found himself with his brothers and the rest of the Company and the Wizard in a Hobbit Hole, of all places. He'd never been in one before. He'd met a few Hobbits, but they did not make a good impression. The only things he liked about them were their food and their pipeweed, though the second was something of an acquired taste. It didn't have the straightforward bite of a good Dwarven pipeweed.

Nori felt like he had been missing out by not entering a Hobbit Hole before. It was possibly the most theft-worthy place he had ever seen. There were pretty little things everywhere, some of them clearly valuable (surely just a few would not be missed), and little locked cabinets that just begged to be explored... not to mention the food! So much food.

Dori took one look at Nori when he stepped into the house and punched him, lightly, but the look he gave was all business.

“Hands to yourself,” he hissed, and Nori nodded. No stealing from members of the Company, that was the rule, and this Hobbit was to be a part of the Company. Nori was honestly a bit relieved, thirteen was an unlucky number, and with a Quest already doomed they needed no more bad luck. Having an extra to round out the number, even if it was a fussy little Hobbit, would put his mind at ease. Not even the luck-knots he had stitched into the seams of his and his brother's cloaks could relieve his nervousness about the number of their party.

Of course, the silly Hobbit had to be even fussier than Dori and a fainter to boot, so all they got out of their trip to his hole was a good dinner and a place to sleep for the night, and the doomed Company was back to thirteen members.

Everyone bedded down where they could, Thorin and his sister-sons of course took the guest rooms. Nori and his brothers set up their bedrolls in the parlor. When everyone else was snoring, Nori was still awake.

Nori was not to steal from members of the Company, but the Hobbit wasn't of the Company now, was he? He had refused the contract... and besides, Nori wasn't going to steal anything. He just wanted to inspect the craftsmanship of the locks, by opening them. He hadn't had a chance to inspect Hobbit locksmithing before. It was practically educational.

Nori padded silently to his feet. He crept out into the hallway, working some delicate lockpicks that seemed the right size out of the lining of his boot.

_just a few of the locked cabinets_   
_just to see how the locks work_   
_just to see what he keeps in there..._

 

The company was two days out from the Shire when Dwalin finally confronted the thief. It seemed that everyone in the entire Company was determined to treat him as if he were a completely normal Dwarf, as though he could be trusted. Even Oin, Dwalin's own cousin, was comfortable enough with the thief to gamble with him about whether or not the Hobbit would join them. Bofur seemed to have made a new best friend, he joked with Nori constantly.

The thief seemed comfortable in the midst of the Company. He lounged out by the fire in the evenings, plucking blades of grass. It had taken Dwalin a while to realize that he was knotting them. He would pluck a blade of grass, twist it absently between his fingers, and then knot it into a shape effortlessly. He did it without even looking, often with just one or the other hand, and then flicked the knots into the fire.

Dwalin was almost impressed with Nori's skill until he realized it was an exercise to keep his fingers nimble and light for stealing things.

_because he is a thief, and nothing but a thief, and he will never be anything more than a thief_

Dwalin planned carefully, and he made sure that he was very much in control of himself. When no one was near, he grabbed Nori and threw him against a big tree. He pinned the thief to it, but he did not pull his axe on him.

“I don't trust you and I never will,” Dwalin growled. The thief's lean body tensed against him, tight as a bowstring, as he spoke. “You can charm the others but you can't fool me. I'll be watching you," he warned. The thief's lips twitched up in that cocky smile.

_why?!_   
_why is he never afraid of me?_   
_what does it take to make him understand that this is serious?_   
_he's all swagger and hair and cocky smile and he is mocking me, is mocking all of us, and there is nothing I can do to make him understand this and his hair is coming out of its ridiculous peaks and I could just run my fingers through it and_   
_NO!_

Dwalin stepped back and flung Nori away, out to the side, turning away.

_why can I not control myself around this filthy thief!?_

Nori did not roll the way Dwalin had expected him to, the way he did when he was tossed into a cell. He twisted as he fell, using the momentum of the fall to spring sideways and around and

a cold sharp blade rested lightly against Dwalin's throat. Another needle-thin point pressed against his back, pricking the skin above his kidney.

“Don't move,” the thief whispered, breath hot against his ear. In his shock at the sudden reversal, Dwalin didn't. “The rules are different now,” Nori continued, voice low. “I am a sworn member of this Company and you don't get to throw me into things whenever you please. As for trust? Don't think I've forgotten the last time you threw me against a wall.” The thief's body was pressed up against the back of Dwalin's as he whispered.

_I did a horrible thing and I can never forgive myself, I know, I know..._

“You've proven yourself untrustworthy. The others trust you but I never will.” Nori's lips brushed the curve of Dwalin's ear, his voice barely more than a murmur. “Should we try again, to even the score? This time, I'll be the one with a blade to your throat, and you can be disappointed.”

_his lips, his breath... what is he doing?_

Nori stretched up against Dwalin's back, and suddenly a hot wet tongue was flicking along the rough Orc-bite scar of his ear. The thief let out a soft moan as his teeth closed around the earring with a tiny clink. His hips began to grind gently against Dwalin as he gave a light tug – not _quite_ hard enough to be painful.

_get the clothes all out of the way, get my hands on all those lean muscles, rub his body against mine and make him moan like that in my ear while we..._   
_while we..._   
_why is he doing this?_   
_I do not want to want a thief but Aule help me I will have him_

Dwalin shuddered, a tiny groan working it's way unbidden out of his throat. The thief answered with a soft whimper of his own. His teeth nibbled their way gently up Dwalin's Orc-bit ear, his breath coming quick and light.

Dwalin pressed himself back against Nori. He forgot for a moment the knife at his back until it pricked him, causing him to jerk forward into the knife against his neck.

“ah!” neither knife had broken the skin, but it was still uncomfortable. The thief let out a breathless half-laugh, but he adjusted the knives, giving Dwalin more space. His lips and teeth never stopped working over Dwalin's ear, his hips and the hard heat of his cock still pressed into Dwalin through their clothes.

“Nori?” Ori's voice suddenly cut through the trees from the direction of the campsite. He sounded worried, and instantly Nori jumped back from Dwalin. He spun to face the thief again. Nori's face was flushed, his eyes wide, lips moist and parted as he panted.

_kiss him_   
_grab him and kiss him and tear his clothes off and get my fingers in his hair and..._

Nori drew himself together, flipping his knives in the air before he tucked them away. He flashed that cocky smile.

“Keep out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours,” he said lightly, turning to go. “...and stay away from my brothers.”

“Nooooriiiii!” Ori called again, sounding closer.

“Over here, Ori!” Nori called back. He ducked away through the trees and was gone.

Dwalin leaned back against the tree he'd thrown the thief against, head spinning.

_what just happened?_   
_that did not go as planned..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to GreenKangaroo for introducing me to good Nori/Dwalin writing music. It was extremely helpful, and I think I'm in love with Concrete Blonde now.
> 
> Also, check out some awesome art!  
> [Sketches by mia-newarcher](http://mianewarcher.tumblr.com/post/43683891133/roughs-for-a-sketch-set-i-am-working-on-they)  
> This is just the first of quite a few illustrations for this story by mia-newarcher, and I'll be linking them to appropriate chapters because I want to share them with everyone. 
> 
> And [Swagger and Hair by sradanvers](http://sradanvers.tumblr.com/post/45343330802/your-axe-to-my-throat-my-knife-to) a photomanip by sradanvers which is lovely.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sons of Kori are protective of one another, and Nori has a problem.

The next day was normal, if normal was traveling in close quarters with a thief and trying to keep an eye on him while also trying to avoid him. At least Nori seemed completely willing to pretend that Dwalin didn't exist. He kept up his banter with Bofur and mainly stayed near his brothers.

The youngest and eldest sons of Kori, though, had been watching Dwalin ever since his unsuccessful confrontation with Nori. Dwalin and Nori had arrived back at camp separately, but it seemed the brothers had guessed something. More than once Dwalin caught Ori staring at him, biting his nails, worry lines on his forehead. He glanced away quickly when he was caught. Dori just gave Dwalin long appraising looks while he was fussing at and mothering everyone.

Dori approached Dwalin first. He urged his pony up beside his while they were riding in the afternoon.

“A word, Dwalin?” The mithril-haired Dwarf asked primly. Dwalin remembered the thief once telling him that his brother was gorgeous, and it was true. Dori with his immaculate braids was certainly a very comely dwarf, though not what appealed to Dwalin's tastes.

Dwalin nodded briefly for Dori to continue. Nori was up ahead teasing Bofur about something, and Ori was behind jotting something down in his book, letting his pony follow as it would. No one was within easy hearing distance. Dori seemed to organize his thoughts for a moment before he continued.

“I know that you and Nori have run into one another, professionally, as it were, in the past.” Dori said. He could have just said 'you arrested my brother'. Dwalin nodded.

“I know my brother well enough to guess what some of those encounters  _might_  have been like.” Dori said. His gray eyes were suddenly very serious, his gaze very very level. The meaning of his words hit Dwalin like a blow.

_what does he know?_

Dori seemed to read something in his silence. “You've hurt him, and I've no doubt he's hurt you. However, I think it would be for the best, for the Quest, if you do not try to antagonize one another any further?” He raised an eyebrow.

“I... ah...” Dwalin was a bit at a loss.

“Good, glad you understand,” Dori said calmly. “Let's not have any more of this sneaking off to fight, the way you did yesterday. You nearly gave Ori a panic attack.” Dori extended a hand to shake, and Dwalin took it, a bit dazed.

He expected a soft grip from the mild Dwarf.

He did not get one.

_Aule's hammer, is he trying to break my hand?_

Dwalin squeezed back on the iron grip bruising his hand, only to have the other also increase the pressure. For the first time in many years, Dwalin threw his entire strength behind his grip. He'd broken three fingers in the hand he'd done it on last.

Dori smiled slightly. His gray eyes never left Dwalin's as he also increased the strength of his grip.

_he's strong_   
_how is he this strong?_   
_they weren't joking when they said he was the strongest Dwarf in the Blue Mountains_   
_...I'm going to lose_

As soon as the thought passed through Dwalin's head, Dori released him. He was still slightly smiling, still completely proper and unruffled.

“I'll do what I can to keep my brother out of your way, I suggest you try to stay out of his?” he suggested gently. Dwalin nodded, flexing his stinging hand, and Dori dropped his pony back to go ride with Ori again.

_I have never been threatened so politely in my life_

 

That evening in camp Dwalin sat idly poking at the fire with a stick, and the damn thief practiced his knots on pieces of grass across from him. Oin started a loud conversation with Nori about knot language. Dwalin stared hard at the fire, trying to keep himself from seething visibly. If his cousin wanted to befriend a thief, it was his right to do so.

Dwalin didn't realize at first that someone had seated themselves by him until Ori spoke.

“M..Mister Dwalin?” Ori started hesitantly.

“Aye, lad?” he answered. He had known the little scribe for so many years, and though it stung the he'd kept Nori a secret, Dwalin had come to terms with it. Family was family, no matter how bad a family member Nori might be.

Ori fidgeted with his gloves for a bit. “Do you remember... once... you asked me to help you find a book about knots? To read something bad?” Ori's voice was quiet enough that no one else would easily be able to overhear. He looked up at Dwalin pleadingly from under his messy hair.

Dwalin had not remembered, not until this moment, that it had been Ori who helped him find that book.

“Aye,” he answered quietly, heart sinking.

“Well, I was just...” Ori looked over to where Nori was demonstrating a knot to Oin and a fascinated Bifur. “I've heard enough, over the years, you know, to know that you don't like Nori and...” Ori swallowed hard, his hands clenching together in his gloves. “He had  _just_  been hurt, and then you needed to read a knot so I think maybe it was you? I mean, it was your job to catch him because he was a thief, but he was hurt and he went away. He always was away, but he had never gone so far away and he didn't come back to visit me for  _years and years_ and he had never done that before, and I missed him so much...” Ori stumbled to a stop after his run-on flood of words. Took a deep breath.

_I did that. the terrible hurt I inflicted spiraling outward..._

“What I'm trying to say is, please don't hurt Nori?” The little scribe clutched his knees, shoulders drawn up to look younger than he really was. “I want him to be here on the Quest with me. You both disappeared yesterday and I got worried that you might hurt him again.”

_your thief brother was holding a knife to my throat, with the rest of his body doing things that made me forget that there was a knife to my throat_   
_and your eldest brother has already nearly broken my hand warning me off_

“We agreed to keep out of one another's way,” Dwalin assured Ori gruffly. “Thorin wants the thi... your brother to be in this Company and I will respect that.”

“Oh!” Ori smiled in relief.

“but I don't like him, and I don't trust him.”

“...oh...” Ori looked sad again. “I trust him. He's always been a good brother to me.” Ori looked away, “When I was really little he would bring home food and clothes for us. Later when I was bigger he was away a lot, but he made sure I always had anything I needed. I don't think I would be as good a scribe as I am without him always making sure I had quills and inks, and books from all over Middle Earth to study. I don't think Dori would even have let me learn fight if Nori hadn't paid for it.”

_a bad Dwarf, but a good brother, I would never have pictured that_

Dwalin put a reassuring hand on Ori's shoulder. “Your brother can take care of himself, even against me.”

_very few are fast enough to immobilize me the way he did_

The little scribe gave him a grateful smile, and Dwalin gave his shoulder an affectionate squeeze. He was a good lad, even if he did have a rotten _thief_ for a brother.

A flash of metal in the firelight caught Dwalin's eye from across the fire. Nori seemed to have concluded his conversation with Oin and was now spinning a knife between his nimble fingers. He flashed a small dangerous smile as he eyed Dwalin's hand on Ori's shoulder. Dwalin took his hand off of Ori's shoulder, taking care to do it slowly so it was not as if he were responding to an implied threat.

He returned to poking the fire with his stick.

 

The Trolls were, quite possibly, the worst moment of Nori's life up to that point.

He knew the Company were all going to die at the end of the Quest. He hadn't realized how likely it was for them to die before they even reached the Misty Mountains. The fight with the trolls had been chaos, Nori was not used to fighting in a group anymore. Still, they'd all been doing well until the Hobbit got himself caught and his big scared eyes made Thorin have everyone throw down their weapons.

Nori had gotten too far away from Ori during the fight. He would have liked nothing more than to grab him and disappear out into the dark. Instead he watched his little brother get put into a sack, and got grabbed himself when he was trying to get to him.

He had never felt so useless in his life. He couldn't even manage to prevent Ori from getting strung up over the fire. Nori's struggling efforts along with Dori and, surprisingly, Dwalin had only earned all four of them a place on the spit.

Nori was prepared to die with his brothers. He hadn't thought it would happen over a Troll's fire.

As they turned over the fire – too high off the flames to really cook – Nori struggled desperately to find a way to save Ori. Even if he could reach a knife, and he was only _fairly_ sure he could, what good would it do to cut Ori free if he dropped into the fire? He would be badly burnt and still in the middle of all the Trolls. The Trolls would probably consider him as having a nice sear and eat him right then and there.

Nori considered that it might have been smarter to disappear into the dark instead of trying to save Ori, that way he could have been releasing those not over the fire. It was too late for that now. Nori could only hope that the trolls choked on his hidden knives and died.

Nori cursed himself a fool again when Bilbo got the Trolls all talking until the sun turned them to stone. He should have thought of that. Hadn't he talked his way out of more than one prison in the early days before he made his adjustable key and could unlock anything?

The Troll hoard was nice though, and he was happy to bury a chest of gold with Bofur and Gloin – not that he expected he would ever be back to collect it. As they left the cave he heard Dwalin asking Gloin if he really thought he would see a single penny of the gold – since a thief knew where it was.

Nori walked faster, until he was out of the cave and out of earshot. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear Gloin's answer. The truth was he'd already thought of it, a little side addition to the happy dream where he managed to convince his brothers to leave this suicide Quest. Sneak away, grab the gold, and go home or off to the Eastern lands. Nori was sure Dori could be very successful in some of the Eastern trading towns, and there was always work for a scribe like Ori.

But it would not happen. Even after his first brush with near-death Ori was still completely dedicated to the Quest, and Nori would not leave him.

 

The Orcs and Wargs were not quite as bad as the Trolls, if only because they were likely to kill first and talk about seasonings later. Nori might have already used up his stock of horror for the day. Tired as he was, as they ran, he could not help that notice the way everyone was acting. Anyone who stumbled was steadied by whoever was closest. Thorin grabbed a panicking Ori back when he would have run out of cover the way he might one of his own sister-sons.

It was as though the entire Company were a single family. It was different from loose alliances Nori had been in where everyone still distrusted one another to one extent or another – when he bothered to form alliances at all. He didn't realize it extended to him too until he was being pulled into cover by he didn't see who, until he found himself reaching out to catch the elbow of a stumbling Bombur.

Gandalf finally led them into a cave, and then to the valley of the Elves. With the tentative new feeling of a family of thirteen around him, it didn't seem strange that Nori found himself shoulder to shoulder with Dwalin while armed Elves charged and circled them on horseback. It didn't seem strange that Dwalin was the one reaching out to push Ori into the middle of the circle for safety.

It didn't last of course. Everyone drifted back into their family groups as soon as the danger was over.

After a singularly unsatisfying meal, Nori found himself pacing. He tried to burn off his nervous energy by exploring, but it was all Elven architecture, all curvy and useless and mostly made of wood with no really interesting metalwork to inspect and think about stealing.

He knew what was wrong. He knew what he needed.

_you're all keyed up, you just need a good fuck to get it out of your system_   
_not every day you almost die three times_

Unfortunately, the company was devoid of anyone he could really consider. Gloin might have done, the shorter dwarf was a fine warrior with a fine temper but was unfortunately married and completely devoted to his wife. His brother Oin was nice enough, but didn't do much for Nori.

Thorin might have done, he had a streak of passion and he was big, if a bit pretty for Nori's tastes...

_no, fucking your boss/king is a bad idea._

Fili and Kili were out of the picture for the same reason, and were young for Nori's tastes anyway.

Bifur might have done, once upon a time, but not anymore. Not with Nori's Blue-Mountain-Miner Iglishmek rusty and his knowledge of ancient Kuzdul spotty at best, and Bifur had shown no interest in anything of the sort with anyone.

Nori might have considered Bofur. The miner wouldn't likely be the best fuck in the world, but he had a wild streak in a fight that Nori thought he might be able to coax out in bed. Unfortunately the shameless flirting and moon-eyes he'd been favoring the Hobbit with since the moment they'd met assured Nori that his suit would not go over well.

_not sure what he sees in the Hobbit, poor little thing looks like a child to me_

Bombur was handsome, if not really to Nori's taste, and he was also married.

Balin was too self-contained. Nori doubted he could coax any sort of fire out of the old warrior even if he had shown any interest – which he had not.

and that was it. That was the whole Company.

_except for Dwalin, with all that passion and all those muscles and scars and that voice..._   
_no. no. no._   
_he is untrustworthy and a bad lay and will not even be considered_

Nori kicked a wall in frustration, but though it looked wispy it did not crumble. It was very unsatisfying.

He stomped back to sit with the rest of the Company where they were setting up camp on a veranda overlooking trees and waterfalls. He didn't know what Elves had against good solid underground homes. At least Hobbits had that part right.

Within moments of sitting his entire skin felt itchy and he was pacing again.

_You need a fuck, a good hard fuck. a wank, no matter how good, just isn't going to cut it. what if you got Dwalin to..._   
_no_   
_no Dwalin_   
_...if not Dwalin, who are you going to fuck? a prissy Elf?_   
_so it has to be Dwalin_   
_how are you going to do this?_   
_he seemed willing enough the other day, when you were getting him back for throwing you against a tree..._   
_just make sure you're in charge enough of this that you get what you  need out of it_   
_step one of getting fucked into next week: separate the target from the rest of the group_

Nori smiled as he planned, and his smile was all shark. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DUBCON WARNING THIS CHAPTER  
> because of knives and wild dwarven fucking, though not at the same time

Dwalin was on his guard as he walked, with so many Elves around. Nori chose his moment carefully and slid silently into step behind him. In two light steps he was practically on top of the giant, perfect position to press a thin pointed knife to his kidney while one of his favorite curved blades rested on Dwalin's throat.

“Don't move,” Nori whispered in an Orc-bit ear.

Dwalin spun with a roar, swinging with his fists and elbows, trying to catch him. Nori danced lightly, keeping behind him. He gave Dwalin a warning poke with the knife on his back, just shy of hard enough to break skin, and Dwalin stilled. He was breathing hard, hands clenching in his knuckledusters.

_oh yes, oh yes, so strong and so warm and he smells like sweat and fire and the way he's breathing_   
_get those fingers bruising into your skin while he slams himself into you, over and over_   
_oh please please please yes..._

Nori leaned against the giant's back and let his lips brush Dwalin's ear as he whispered, “I need a fuck, and it's either you or some damn  Elf and I'm not in the mood for what  they  think a good time is.” He nipped gently at the ear, stretching himself against the hard muscles of the giant's back. “Can you do it for me? Can you fuck me the way I want you to?”

Dwalin made a small rough noise in his throat as Nori waited. He breathed lightly into the giant's ear and rubbed his lips gently against the Orc-bite.

“Aye, I could,” Dwalin finally groaned. Nori released him, keeping a close eye on the giant as he put his knives away, and flashed a smile. The giant was breathing hard, nostrils flaring, skin flushed red under his tattoos as he glowered. It seemed to be his default expression for both anger and arousal.

_yesyesyes_   
_get his teeth in you and his hands on you and, and everything, everything_   
_yes_

“Follow me.” Nori said, ducking back into the passage he'd come from. He made his way quickly to the place he'd chosen.

Dwalin followed.

Nori turned as they reached the place. It was a strange open-air room with no roof, hemmed in by three walls and some trees. The perfect example of nonsensical Elvish architecture, but convenient and out of the way. He turned and smiled at Dwalin, the scarred warrior was hesitating at the edge of the space.

_you know he wants you_   
_get him_   
_make him fuck you_

Nori grabbed the leather straps across Dwalin's chest. He pulled the giant forward as he walked himself backward into the nearest wall, pulling Dwalin against him hard. He wrapped a leg around Dwalin to grind their hips together, moaning as he felt Dwalin's cock hardening through his pants.

Dwalin growled deep. The vibrations sparked through Nori's core as he pushed back against him. Big hard hands squeezed his thigh, the muscles in his back and chest. Nori spread his hands, digging his fingers into Dwalin's furs, feeling the iron-hard muscles underneath. He reached around the giant, slid his hands under Dwalin's tunic to run them up his broad back. Nori rested his forehead against Dwalin's shoulder, digging his blunt nails into the giant's back as he pressed their bodies as close together as he could.

_he's so big, so big, so strong_   
_can you really keep control of what happens here?_   
_he's untrustworthy and he's so big_   
_what if he pulls an axe and..._

Dwalin thrust against him, pinning Nori to the wall with his hips, breath ragged. “How... how do you want to?” Dwalin groaned, reaching up to run his fingers across Nori's already messy hair. Immediately Nori felt the sudden fear leave him.

_much more polite than last time_   
_but you shouldn't have forgotten he likes your hair_   
_too late to get your things out of it, get him away from it_

Nori flicked a small knife out of his sleeve and prodded Dwalin's hand away from his head with the edge of it. “Not the hair,” he warned.

Dwalin whimpered slightly in disappointment. Nori put the knife back, rubbing the length of his body up Dwalin's to distract him.

_now tell him, tell him what you need_

“I want you to fuck me harder than you've ever fucked before,” Nori moaned into Dwalin's ear. “I want to feel your big hands on my body and your teeth in my skin. I want to feel you inside me. I want you to fill me up and pound into me until I can't take any more, and longer, and I want to feel you spend your seed inside me and, and... Mahal just _fuck_ me!” Nori reached down, quick fingers untying the laces of Dwalin's pants.

“...but I...” Dwalin drew away slightly and Nori paused, confused.

_no no, you're losing him_   
_why?_   
_what did you do wrong? does he not like to fuck?_

“I can't. I'm too big.” Dwalin groaned. His face showed genuine worry.

_who the fuck told him that?_   
_when this is over, find whoever it was and kill them_   
_slowly_

Nori laughed, reaching into Dwalin's unlaced pants to measure his impressive erection with his hand. He took his time, feeling it jump as Dwalin groaned at the touch.

_it's proportionate_   
_proportionate to the biggest Dwarf you've ever seen, true, but not unmanageable_   
_it's going to feel so good_

“You think too highly of yourself,” Nori laughed. He leaned up to whisper in Dwalin's ear, “I've had bigger.” He ground himself against Dwalin, pretending not to notice the giant's eyes widen with shock, or the two beats of surprised stillness before Dwalin reciprocated again. He thrust against Nori far rougher than he had before. His breath growled down hot on Nori's face as Dwalin's powerful arms wrapped around him, half-crushing the air out of him.

_oh, those arms_   
_so strong, so good, oh yes..._   
_if he's never done this, or never done it right, you're going to have to take the lead, at least at first_   
_damn_   
_but then, then you'll finally get him to fuck you hard_   
_oh please please please_   
_don't let him be disappointing again_

“Clothes off. Now.” Nori ordered breathlessly. He pushed Dwalin away, and the giant allowed it. Nori took the tin of salve out of his left sleeve, biting it between his teeth to keep it handy while he began to shrug out of all his clothes and weapons. He had years of practice removing everything at once so his lovers could never see into his clothes to see where and how many weapons he had.

Dwalin kept eye contact the entire time. His heavy-browed blue eyes drilled into Nori's as he unbuckled his knuckle-dusters, flinging them clattering to the floor with a flick of those huge arms.

Nori's gut clenched, letting out an involuntary whimper of need at the sheer animal _threat_ of the Dwarf before him. Dwalin unbuckled the leather straps across his chest, putting his axes to the side, and then removed his shirt.

_oh sweet Mahal, perfection in the form of a Dwarven torso_

There were the deep jagged scars of Orc weapons on him, and a good deal of ink. He had a thick slightly graying dark brown curls running down an enormously broad muscular chest and all the way down his hard stomach.

_rub yourself all over that, oh yes_   
_he's got his nipple pierced too_   
_get your teeth into that to make him moan while he pounds into you..._

Dwalin kicked off his boots and pants, revealing powerful muscular legs, more ink and scars and hair, and his thick cock standing tall. The giant was still holding eye contact. He reached down to take his erection in hand, working it slowly as he stared at Nori.

_oh... oh that's flattering_   
_you're not even naked yet_

Nori finally removed his tunic and jacket, with all his upper body weapons with them. He threw the tin of salve to Dwalin.

“Lay down and grease it up,” he ordered. The grizzled warrior did as instructed as Nori starting to work on his pants and lower-body weapons. Dwalin spread his tunic out to lay on and pried the lid off the tin. He smelled the salve before he scooped up a fingerful to spread on himself.

“More,” Nori instructed. He finally removed the last of his clothes and knelt beside Dwalin. He took a hefty scoop of the salve to prepare himself and worked his fingers into himself with a soft groan. He ran his spare hand over the giant's chest, feeling the muscles and scars, tracing the inked lines.

_soon, soon, soon, soon..._   
_oh yes_

“At least twice that much,” Nori instructed, after Dwalin had spread more salve on his erection. Nori pressed a third finger inside, slowly spreading and stretching. He flicked the heavy ring through the giant's nipple, and Dwalin's body jerked as he moaned.

Dwalin's erection now had a thick coat of the creamy salve, and Nori was as ready as he had the patience to make himself. He took the tin and set it to the side within easy reach, straddling the giant, who was staring up at him wide eyed.

“You can touch, but let me do this part slow,” Nori instructed. He put Dwalin's hands on his body but was not eager to have an overexcited giant thrust into him or press him down unexpectedly. He closed his eyes, guiding the thick head of Dwalin's erection to his entrance. He pushed slowly against it as big hands began to trace patterns on his skin, rough fingers running across his ribcage, exploring the thin scars of failed murder attempts, kneading the muscles of his thighs and shoulders.

Dwalin let out a choked groan but stayed mercifully still as the head of his erection finally slipped past the ring of muscles into Nori. He breathed deeply, rhythmically clenching and relaxing his muscles as he slowly worked more and more into himself.

_aaaaahhhhh, yesssssss_   
_so good so good so good so big_

Nori's body curled in, bringing his forehead to rest on Dwalin's chest as unpredictable tremors traveled through him and he finally seated himself fully. He took the last of Dwalin's cock inside with a deep groan from the pit of his stomach, feeling that delicious _more full than full_ feeling. Big hands gripped his shoulders, rubbed his back. Dwalin's breath rasped out hoarse and desperate, his heartbeat thudded against Nori's forehead as he breathed the raw animal scent of sweat and fire and lust.

“...wait... wait... just a little longer... so good...” Nori gasped out, waiting for his body to adjust. Dwalin was mercifully still, waiting, though he was starting to tremble, muscles twitching.

Nori rocked himself back and forth gently, and Dwalin's hands clenched on his shoulders as the warrior growled. He sat up, finally opening his eyes again to look at the flushed giant. He lifted himself nearly all the way off of Dwalin's erection, rubbing a little more salve on it before sliding it back inside.

“You can never have too much salve,” he explained. He bounced himself up and down a few times to be sure he really was ready, listening to Dwalin gasp – his own body jerked with the intensity of the deep pleasure. Everything was smooth and slick, he felt stretched and full, but no pain. He moved Dwalin's hands to his hips.

_yesyesyesyesyes_   
_finally_

“Any way you like, just do it hard,” Nori begged.

His hands tangled in the thick curls on the warrior's chest, running his thumbs over the dark nipples. Dwalin's eyes rolled back as he groaned, gripping Nori's hips and guiding him in a slow grind.

_good, good but more_   
_please more_

“Harder,” Nori gasped. Dwalin increased the pace, but still not enough.

_where's his passion?_   
_you need fire_   
_make him give it to you_

Nori grabbed a handful of beard. Dwalin looked up at him in shock as he pulled.

“If that's the best you've got I might as well have fucked an Elf,” he growled.

It was enough.

Dwalin exploded underneath him. Nori was lifted off and slammed to the side, hitting the stone floor face-down. Enormous hands grabbed him, one crushing his face and shoulder into the floor while the other lifted his hips and Dwalin slammed back into him with a roar.

_yes! praise Mahal! finally!_

Nori may have screamed into the floor, he wasn't sure, as the warrior rammed into him relentlessly. He felt the bruising grip of those hands, the hard smack of their bodies together, and the perfect brutal pounding deep inside setting off a chain reaction in his stomach. A deep well of pleasure built, growing, overflowing and Dwalin's rough beautiful voice was cursing him 'damn thief' and 'Elf fucker'. He could feel the rhythm of Dwalin's hips grow unsteady already and wrestled his arm underneath himself to pull himself off. It took only a few pumps and he was spending against the floor with definitely a scream this time as Dwalin's body arched behind him. The enormous warrior fell onto him, crushing him against the floor. Impossibly powerful arms wrapped around Nori and Dwalin's teeth sank into the muscle of his shoulder, muffling a shout of the giant's own. Nori felt the flooding heat as the Dwalin spent into him.

_oh yes_   
_yes_

Nori closed his eyes and smiled.

_perfect_

 

_Monster_

Dwalin did not know how young he was the first time he was called them.

_Beast_

They were just names that followed the hot tempered dwarrow who was always too big for his age, who didn't know his own strength.

_Troll_

People had always been afraid of him, his whole life.

_Dragon_

He became a warrior, and that helped. Being too big was good in a warrior. He killed Orcs and Wargs and brigands and earned scars and renown when he was still young. He was a hero. He could pretend people were afraid of him because he was a mighty warrior, and not because he was himself.

People didn't call him the names anymore, at least not to his face. Not until he took lovers.

_Monster_

That look of fear, the one he'd been seeing his whole life.

_Beast_

“It'll never fit, you'll tear me to pieces!”

_Dragon_

“There are other things we can do...”

_Troll_

Dwalin had stopped asking. Had grown to enjoy and even love other things, because he knew he was too big. He grew used to assuring lovers who looked at him with trepidation that, no, he would not ever ask that of them.

_Monster_

They called it, and they were afraid. People had always been afraid of him. He took a career as a guardsman, and put that fear to good use.

Then there was a thief who was not afraid of it,

had never been afraid of Dwalin,

and he was confused.

The thief laughed at his cock, claimed he'd had _bigger._ He took it all inside himself, into the impossible heat and slickness and tightness.

And then... and then...

_Aule what have I done?_

The thief was twisted and crumpled beneath him. Dwalin slowly levered himself off, seeing the bright red oval of his bitemark on Nori's shoulder, dark flushed handprints on him that would surely bruise. The thief trembled, muscles jumping here and there on his body. His breath was ragged.

_what have I done_   
_what have I done_   
_forgive me, I've hurt him_   
_...again_   
_his brothers are going to kill me and cry at me and I'm not sure which will be worse_   
_what have I done?_

Dwalin slowly pulled out of the clenching heat of the thief's body. Nori shuddered with a gasp as he did so.

Dwalin fell to the side with a groan, his limbs too weak to hold him.

_Monster_   
_too big and too strong and I lost my temper_   
_I should never have..._

“Mmmmm...” Nori moaned. He stretched out, wiggling his toes, and rolled over. His eyes were half-closed, and his red-brown hair spilled around him all in disarray. He laughed, a quiet laugh that seemed to come from the depths of his belly, and lay still again. A small smile rested on his lips.

_is he..._   
_he's not hurt?_

Eventually the thief stood, stretching his arms up to the sky. His body arched like a bow and was just as graceful. He was stocky but lean, strong and muscular and very very dwarf, but graceful.

“Much better,” Nori said warmly. He picked up his clothes and the tin of salve and walked away with that cocky swagger even more pronounced than ever.

“Oh look, a convenient bathhouse," he commented as he ducked through the trees and out of Dwalin's sight.

_he was not afraid_   
_he took all of me, and the worst I could give, and was not hurt_   
_...how?_

When he could trust his limbs, Dwalin gathered up his clothes and followed through the trees to the small bathhouse. Nori was just finishing up, pouring water over himself with a bucket. His hair was unbraided and tied up in a knot on the top of his head.

The thief nodded to Dwalin, tossed him the bucket, and left without a word.

_that's it?_   
_of course that's it_   
_you're not that damn thief's lover, he just wanted a fuck_

Dwalin washed and dressed himself and returned to the camp. Thankfully the thief's brothers did not seem to have noticed that he'd been away. Some in the Company had begun breaking furniture for a campfire, since they were not allowed to take anything from the trees. Soon the thief arrived back at camp too, with a rope of sausages and a few loaves of bread under his arm.

Nori was greeted as a hero for having stolen decent food from the Elves. Little Ori in particular nearly cried with gratitude.

Dwalin sat a little out of the circle of things on one side of the fire, and Nori sat a little outside the circle of things on the other.

_so now everything goes back to normal_   
_he's a thief, as he just proved, and I cannot trust him_   
_I travel with him, and keep and eye on him, and try to stay out of his way_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I certainly enjoyed writing it.  
> Now with gorgeous sad art of young Dwalin by Nowitsaparty! (nsfw)  
> http://nowitsaparty.tumblr.com/post/66911349296/click-here-for-sads-nsfw-he-fought-the-lump


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No smut this chapter, sadly.

The Company stayed in Rivendell for a week, until the moon was right for reading the map or some such Elvish nonsense.

It was the first time the Company had been together in enforced idleness, and Dwalin noticed for the first time that Nori was never still. It was hard to keep a sharp eye on him when he was constantly climbing trees and walls, exploring every nook and cranny of every building, and trying his best to befriend the entire Company – except for Dwalin. Dwalin did not seem to exist in the thief's world anymore.

He had chased the thief enough to know that he was an excellent climber, but for the first time he realized that Nori had no fear of heights. Often he would be spotted having a quiet smoke while perched high up in a tree or precariously on the top of a wall. Dwalin was not the only Dwarf cringing when Nori started walking on his hands along the spine of a nearby roof.

_what kind of a Dwarf does that?_   
_we are an honest people, a people of stone and earth_   
_why is he so unnatural with his climbing and his stealing?_

Of course, Kili having seen Nori walking on his hands wanted to learn too. Nori spent a little time teaching the younger dwarf the trick of it. Dwalin tried not to fume as he watched the thief's nimble hands on the young prince's body, squeezing his biceps and forearms as Nori talked about how handwalking was good for upper body strength, and how Kili was already well on his way with being an archer, or resting a hand on his thigh to steady him in his first few clumsy handwalking steps. Of course, teaching handwalking had mushroomed out to Nori teaching other tricks to both Fili and Kili, like dirty fighting and practicing walking silently. Dwalin kept his peace as long as he wasn't teaching them anything illegal.

A few days later Dwalin caught Nori holding Kili's hand to Fili's throat from behind as if it were a knife. He guided the fingers of Kili's other hand to different places on his elder brother's back.

“You stab here, between these ribs, you've got his lung. A little to the side though and you've got nothing. Over here you've got the liver, lots of blood, a messy way to die..."

Dwalin went and got Thorin.

“The thief is teaching your sister-sons how to kill with a knife in the back.”

Thorin sat up abruptly from where he'd been resting. “Bilbo?” his astonishment was obvious, but a split second later his brow cleared as understanding struck. “Nori," the King said grimly. “Show me.”

“So, Kili's going for your liver – to the left Kili, other left– what do you do, Fili?” Nori stood a bit to the side of where Kili was holding Fili, using his fingers as knives.

“I twist like...” Fili bent an odd direction, throwing an elbow out in slow-motion into Kili's chest as he dropped himself away from both of Kili's 'knives'. He rolled up to his feet in the 'ready' position.

“Very good!” Nori praised. “Now switch, Fili, get Kili's liver, then we'll practice at full speed.”

“It looks to me,” Thorin said gently, “as though Nori is teaching my Heirs how to survive an assassination attempt.”

“They'll never be without guards once we have Erebor,” Dwalin protested.

Thorin nodded thoughtfully. “Still, it takes only one clever assassin slipping through. I would rather they have this knowledge than not.” Thorin sat himself down to watch, and Dwalin sat beside him. Nori noticed them, of course, but he merely nodded to Thorin and continued the lesson.

“He's never been picked up for murder, has he?” Thorin asked curiously.

“No,” Dwalin said. “Not in the Blue Mountains.” He shivered, feeling a chill as he remembered the sharp knife that had been pressed to his back as the thief whispered in his ear.

_he knows exactly how to use all of these killing blows_   
_he's practiced them_   
_he knows how to survive them, too, that's what those thin scars on his ribs were from_   
_...he could have killed me at any time_   
_if he could sneak up on me here, in bright quiet Rivendell where I am on my guard, what stopped him from killing me in the dark noisy streets of Ered Luin?_   
_I hurt him terribly once and he could have killed me for it_   
_he chose not to_

With these disquieting thoughts in his head, Dwalin sat beside his King and watched the thief teach the princes. Eventually the lesson devolved into a wrestling match with both heirs ganging up on Nori. The thief neatly flipped Fili off of himself into his brother and sprang up and over a wall and away. His long red-brown hair escaped his peaks to stream out behind him while the princes sorted their limbs out and ran after him, shouting in laughter.

“Do they have any chance at catching him?” Thorin asked, amused.

“Only if he wants them to,” Dwalin answered.

Thorin raised an eyebrow, “Is that how you caught him?”

_what does Thorin know?_   
_nothing, nothing, he's just teasing_   
_...did the thief want me to catch him?_   
_always that cocky smile, the same one when I threw him against a wall as when he was propositioning me... the same one as when he was pulling me against himself while he backed himself against a wall, his hands reaching under my clothes to run his nails along my back..._   
_no, no, it must have been coincidental_   
_I caught him fairly those times I caught him_

“You don't run after him,” Dwalin deflected. “You head him off.”

Thorin nodded, and they lapsed back into silence. From the sounds of it, Fili and Kili's chase was ending in another round of sparring with the entire Company.

It had started with Nori sparring with Bofur, claiming that he was out of practice with his long-handled mace. Then he claimed that he was out of practice fighting in a group, which meant that Bifur and Bombur joined in. Then Gloin, who needed very little excuse to spar with anyone, brought along Oin. Of course Fili and Kili could not be left out of anything, and when Dori and Ori joined in Balin did too and the Company became a mass of shouting and laughing Dwarves breaking into teams and hitting one another with sticks. Even Dwalin joined in sometimes if Balin or Gloin or the princces asked him, though Thorin did not. It was beneath his dignity, especially under the eyes of the Elves.

“I have not had the chance to ask you,” Thorin said, putting a hand on Dwalin's shoulder. “I know you were not pleased with Nori's inclusion, but you seem to be handling his presence well?”

“We stay out of one another's way,” Dwalin said.

_except for a few days ago, when he sought me out and I fucked him into the floor as I have never done before, and I do not know where I stand with him at all_

“I don't trust him,” he added.

_that is true_   
_the other day may have been strange and amazing, but does not change his basic nature, which he reveals by stealing Elven food and teaching princes about knives in the back_   
_the more the rest of the Company likes him the more uneasy I feel about him_

“I do not need you to trust him,” Thorin assured him. “You can travel and fight by his side?”

“Aye,” Dwalin agreed, “I can.”

_he was not bad against the Trolls and Orcs, and when we're traveling he mostly keeps to himself and his family_

 

Rivendel was surprisingly enjoyable, Nori found, once you ignored that there were so many Elves in it. Everything was very climbable, and he took particular pleasure in making the older Dwarves wince when he made a hard climb or took a daring leap. They were all scared of heights, like good Dwarves. He had learned early on in life that he was much more frightened of guardsmen than he was of falling, and he'd never looked back.

He probably shouldn't have shown off with handwalking on the roof, but he had been bored and it was beautiful to see every single Dwarf, and the Hobbit too, cringe as they watched him.

It did open up a friendship with Kili, which he had not expected, and where Kili went Fili followed. Nori found himself teaching the princes things that Thorin might not approve of them knowing. Dwalin certainly didn't approve, but he just watched and glowered and said nothing. The only time Thorin had seen a lesson he had done nothing to interrupt.

Finding food seemed to be Nori's most appreciated skill in the Company. Breaking into the Elves kitchen and pantry was not particularly hard, and he sorted through their rabbit food for the good stuff – meats and cheeses and breads. On one memorable evening he stole a small cask of strong mead that had everyone laughing and singing around the fire well into the night. The Elves seemed to realize that their furniture was disappearing, which was really their own fault for using wood instead of sensible metal or stone, and had discreetly provided the Dwarves with a stack of firewood.

Nori remembered how awkward and helpless he'd felt trying to fight in the group against the Trolls. He tried to hold onto that strange feeling, the family-of-thirteen feeling he'd had when they were in danger from Orcs and Elves, and asked Bofur to spar with him. He wasn't sure how he was going to get the rest of the Company to join in, but once a few family groups had recruited one another the rest of the Dwarves were more than happy to pile in. Nori got group-fighting practice again for the first time in many years. His instinct in a fight was always to circle around and get close, but group fighting was more about keeping track of those on your own team and getting the enemy to turn their back to them.

He tried to keep himself busy, but there was not much to steal in the Valley of the Elves, and there were no locks to speak of for him to practice opening.

Nori did find a small piece of Elvish rope just lying about. _Elvish rope_. As useless as most Elvish things were, Elvish rope was not one of them. It could only come untied at the will of the person who tied it – which in the normal course of things meant that if you were stealing something tied with Elvish rope you cut the rope or the thing the rope was tied to. Here it was, a small weathered piece of Elvish rope just lying here on the top of the wall...

Anyone might take it.

Anyone did.

He tucked it into his sleeve for safekeeping, and that night he rolled it into the hem of his cloak and sewed it in when everyone was asleep.

You never knew when you might need some Elvish rope.

There were whispers that the Company might have to sneak out of Rivendell just ahead of Elves trying to prevent their leaving. Nori approved of that. It was very much his style.

He prepared a gift, just in case. Never let it be said that Nori son of Kori was an ungrateful houseguest. He always tried to leave something behind when he was escaping. It was easy enough to make his way over the roofs and climb in Elrond's window to pull a single thread out of the weave of one of his silvery gowns.

Nori sat by the fire and ran his fingers over the long silky thread, pondering it, before he chose a many-pointed flower for the shape, with long drooping stamens. He knotted it around a small delicate twig so it almost looked as though it had grown from it. He wondered if Elrond could even read knot language as he made the points of the flower with the particular twist that denoted amusement.

“What are you making, lad?” Oin asked a little loudly. He sat next to Nori and pointed his ear trumpet at him.

“Going away present, for Lord Elrond. A habit of mine.” Nori explained. He handed the half-completed work over for inspection, and Oin took out a jeweler's glass to inspect it closely.

Oin nodded over it, making appreciative comments, then handed it back. He looked at Nori speculatively for a moment after, and then for some reason at Dwalin before he moved away with whatever thought he'd had unsaid.

The next evening, Thorin came to Nori quietly and asked him to acquire a short list of items and then pack up his belongings. They would be leaving right after Thorin's meeting with Elrond about the map. Nori watched as Thorin unobtrusively spoke with each Dwarf in turn, warning them of their impending departure, and felt a small spark of pride.

_you have been asked to steal by a king_   
_he trusts your skill_   
_and not even Dori can disapprove_

It was not hard to get two extra blankets. Being Elf-sized, they were cut in half and became four. They went to the Hobbit, Ori, Balin, and Bifur, who had the hardest time with cold. It was also not hard to get a bag of barley to thicken up Bombur's stews, and Nori stole a bag of dried mushrooms to go with it because Mushroom Barley was a favorite of Ori's. He even managed to find a stash of waybread and small dried sausages which would have to do instead of the jerky Thorin had asked him to find.

He had not been asked to, but he also stole a small whetstone for Bifur, who had lost his with the ponies. They were not in as good a shape as they had been before they lost the ponies and most of their supplies, but they were in decent shape. Nori spread his finds among the group. Dori tutted at him, and Dwalin glowered, but he explained that Thorin ordered him to and they both let him be. The Company napped as they waited for Thorin, Bilbo, and Balin to return.

Nori's flower got a small amount of interest from the group when he placed it carefully in the middle of where they had been camping as the Company left Elrond's house.

“Does it say anything?” Kili asked as they walked away.

“Not really. It laughs a little," Nori answered.

“Why did you do it?” Fili asked, looking back toward the flower even though it was out of sight now.

Nori shrugged, “It's just something I do, when I escape.” He'd never really had to explain it to anyone before, wasn't really sure if he could. Knotting kept his hands busy, kept his fingers nimble. It had just become a habit to leave something of his behind when he broke out of somewhere. Maybe it was a reminder of the one who got away, or a way of keeping score in a game that only he was playing.

Nori kept his eyes on Ori as the sun rose and they moved out of the valley. His brother looked back for one last view, notebook in hand – probably sketching one last drawing of Rivendell for his record.

_a record that will never be read because we're going to be eaten by a dragon_   
_if we even make it that far_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Elrond's reaction to the knot, please turn your eyes to:  
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/709351/chapters/1310838


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING THIS CHAPTER - mentions of Torture and Death

Nori's eyes were closed, standing a little away from camp, listening hard. There was a rustling of cloth to his right. He pointed. “Kili.”

There was a scuffing of dirt to his left. He pointed. “Fili”

They were practicing walking silently, but the princes were not very good at it. The fabric of their clothes was too loud, and their boots too heavy and stiff. The game was to see if they could walk up and touch him without being heard. So far they had not gotten very close at all.

“Fili,” Nori pointed. It sounded as though the heir had actually made it a few steps before giving himself away.

“Kili, patience,” he pointed. The younger prince huffed disappointedly.

“Kili,” again. The archer had taken too big of a step.

“Fili, not bad.” It sounded as though the blond prince had made it another few steps closer.

A small hand tapped Nori in the center of the chest, and his eyes flew open to stare down at a pleased-looking Hobbit. The entire Company burst into cheers. Gold flew back and forth as wagers were paid, quite a bit of it going to Bofur.

Nori clapped the Hobbit on the shoulder. “I'm impressed, Mr Baggins, you might be a burglar after all!” he grinned. The Hobbit flushed, looking to Bofur for reassurance. The friendly miner smiled back proudly.

_of course Bofur put him up to it_

“Enough of this for today,” Nori told Fili and Kili. “Maybe you should have the Hobbit teach you, he might be better than I am.”

“How did you do it, Bilbo?” Fili asked as they walked back to the campsite. “I was trying to copy you, but he still heard me.”

“Oh, well, you know...” Bilbo looked a little flustered. “It's just something Hobbits do. We don't always want to be seen or heard by the Big People. I think the feet help.” He wiggled his bare toes in demonstration. Nori was slightly jealous – tough-but-soft feet were probably better than even the softest pair of boots. Still, he reminded himself, he had done very well for himself even without that natural advantage.

Nori sat down beside Ori, who was jotting something down in his book. Nori wasn't sure what had happened in the few days since Rivendell that was worth mentioning, but then Ori was the scribe, not him.

Bombur finally declared the soup done, and Nori went over to fetch a bowl for himself and Ori. He shared a smile with the shy cook. Earlier in the day Nori had slipped the bag of dried mushrooms to Bombur, describing Ori's favorite soup. The cook had been more than happy to attempt it. Nori gave it a quick taste and nodded his approval to Bombur with a wink. Bombur shuffled with embarrassment, looking at his feet, but he was smiling.

“Here,” Nori handed the bowl to Ori, who sighed as he put his book away. “I don't know if you'll like it...”

“Bilbo didn't slip greens into it again, did he?” Ori asked nervously. He sniffed the soup cautiously as Nori sat beside him. “Mushroom barley!” he crowed. “But where did the mushrooms come from?” He slurped up a spoonful happily.

“The Elves were very generous, or I'm sure they would have been if I had asked,” Nori said dryly. Ori snorted, bumping his shoulder into Nori.

“Thief,” he accused fondly.

Nori bumped him back.

“Enough of that, you'll spill your soup and all of Bombur's hard work will be lost,” Dori fussed. Nori and Ori stilled, but they still grinned at one another.

Nori bumped Ori again, lightly, and Ori giggled. He glanced over at a disapproving Dori, who shook his head at them in exasperation.

_this part is nice, traveling with Ori_   
_you never really got to be a proper brother to him before_   
_you should have brought him with you to the East some time, and it could have just been like this, traveling and joking and having a good time without the promise of death at the end_   
_maybe if he'd had an adventure with you he wouldn't have had to sign up for this suicide quest_   
_of course Dori would have hunted you down and ripped your arms off for involving Ori in anything even remotely illegal..._

 

The storm came up fast, hurling down through the mountain pass and bringing an early darkness with it. The Company had no time to find shelter and were left with no choice but to pick their way along the precarious rain-slicked path.

It was more than dangerous enough for Dwalin's taste _before_ stone giants began throwing stones at one another. Before the Company found themselves standing on one of the stone giants. Before they where flying through the air toward a cliff. Before Thorin nearly slipped to his death saving the Hobbit from doing the same. It was only the stone's luck they all made it through alive.

When the Company were all finally safe in the dry cave Dwalin found, the thief collapsed. He did it quietly enough that nobody else seemed to notice, busy as they were seeing to their own kin.

Nori crumpled, holding onto little Ori's clothes so tightly his knuckles were bone-white. He shook as he whispered something, and Ori's bottom lip was trembling as he hugged his brother tight. Dori was standing nervously beside his kneeling brothers, and Nori reached out, grabbing his elder brother's tunic and pulling him down with them into a tangle of brotherly limbs. They all three clung, arms wrapped tight around one another.

Dwalin could hear what Nori was saying, now, a whispered litany of “I'm so sorry” and “I thought I lost you” and “I can't keep you safe”.

_this is the thief stripped of his defenses_   
_for all his experience in the world, he has never had to watch his brothers in danger before_   
_he has never had to watch anyone he loved die before, has he?_

Dwalin could hardly remember having that innocence. He'd been young when Erebor fell, and if that was enough, Azanulbizar was more than enough death for anyone's lifetime.

It did not last long, the thief pulled himself back together quickly. The sons of Kori bedded themselves down, and if their bedrolls were unusually close to one another they were not the only family to do so. Fili and Kili were practically on top of one another.

Dwalin wrapped himself in his cloak and settled in against a rock, not quite ready to lay down and sleep. Everyone settled in quickly, drifting off one by one except for Bofur on watch and Thorin who always rested lightly... and Nori, who was twitching in the way Dwalin remembered from their first day in Rivendell. He jumped at the slightest sound, fidgeting and shifting restlessly as though he wished to be pacing the way he had the first day in the Elves valley.

_the Company was in their first battles, and he was nervous after_   
_then I fucked him and he was relaxed again_   
_now, the Company has been in danger again, and he's twitching_   
_does danger do that to him?_

Nori sat up and looked at Dwalin with a desperation that bordered on pleading before he looked around the small cave. It was full of Dwarves. He grimaced and his shoulders slumped. He shifted his bedroll closer to Ori and buried his face against his little brother's back.

too bad there is no privacy here, not unless we went out into the rain  
oh, isn't that a thought...  
...his hair all loose, plastered to his naked body as the rain rolls off his skin, running my hands across those lean muscles, feeling the goosebumps on his skin from the cold, feeling the cold myself until I slide myself into the heat of his body and he cries out and pushes back against me, begging for more, for harder...  
no... no...

Dwalin wrapped himself tighter in his cloak and turned away, forcing the images away and stilling his half-hard cock.

_he is a thief, he is a thief, he is not to be trusted_   
_you will not want a thief_

 

The Goblins were infinitely worse than the Trolls.

The Trolls were just going to eat Ori – the Goblins were going to make Nori watch him be tortured.

Nori knew, he brushed against bad enough circles in his travels to know, that screaming 'me instead' would not save his brother. There was nothing he could do to save him, not with the Company being so vastly outnumbered.

It would break Ori. He was a Dwarf, but the sweet little scribe who was his brother would not last long against Goblins. He would break and they would keep torturing him as long as his screams were a motivation to the rest of the Company. It would be a horrible drawn-out death.

Thorin stepped forward and Nori's heart ached with gratitude for that, but it would only delay the Goblins so long. For all their ugly king's talk of searching every crack and crevice, the Goblins had done a poor job of disarming Nori. He adjusted his arm, slipping a long thin knife into his grip.

Ori was just a little ahead of him. Nori was standing so still the Goblins holding him were relaxing, holding him looser than they should. His eyes traced the shape of his little brother's back, finding the place to stab through right into his heart.

It would be a fast death. A clean death.

_it is a too cruel of a world if the kindest thing you can do for your brother is kill him_   
_wait as long as you can_   
_twist out of the Goblins' hands_   
_just one quick stab_   
_then one for yourself, if you can, because once Ori's gone there's no reason to live_

When the explosion of light and pressure hit, Nori stabbed the two Goblins holding him even as he fell down. He didn't need to be able to see to do that, or to dive toward the pile of weapons.

_if we fight hard enough they might be forced to kill us instead of taking us alive_

Gandalf urged them to fight, and Nori found himself throwing weapons to the Company. Orcrist went to Thorin, Grasper and Keeper to Dwalin, swords to Fili and Kili, mace to Balin, and Dwalin's hammer he threw to Ori since Dwalin was already armed.

They were running, Nori right behind Dwalin, and it didn't feel strange to be fighting in tandem. They cut the ropes on a pole and used it together to sweep Goblins out of their way as they ran, opening the path for the rest of the Company.

Everything was a whirlwind of chaos, and in some small way he knew that the group fighting practice had helped because he could tell where everyone was. He could keep an eye on Ori and Dori while fighting, while the rickety Goblin town fell apart around them.

He almost let himself believe that they would escape when the Goblin king headed them off.

Gandalf killed him.

And they fell.

The landing was horrible. The weight of the structure pinned Nori, crushing the air out of him so he didn't even have the air to curse Bofur for saying it could have been worse.

Then the Goblin king landed on them.

Nori was completely immobilized. He could feel the beam across his chest press into him, crushing him between the planks. He could hear his cartilage creak and pop as his bones approached their tolerance limit, the blood pounding harsh in his ears and he could not breathe...

Dizzy blackness closed in on him.

_they don't have time to dig you out_   
_they'll just run_   
_...just_   
_...run..._

Enormous hands closed on his shoulders as the horrible crushing weight lifted. He was pulled out, gasping, and tucked up against a side as solid as rock, a powerful arm wrapped around his shoulders, supporting him where his legs could not. The warm familiar raw animal scent of Dwalin filled his nose, the deep rumble of his voice shouted.

_...safe..._   
_...you're safe now..._   
_NO!_   
_No, No you are not safe, he's untrustworthy and... and... you're not safe!_   
_and there are still goblins after you so Run!_

Nori pushed away from Dwalin and ran under his own power, following Gandalf out into the last of the daylight.

Nori almost allowed himself to believe that they were safe before they heard the Wargs howling and the Company ran again, right to the edge of a cliff. He was one of the first into the trees as even the most heights-fearing of the Dwarves followed.

He felt drained, numb, as the Wargs chased them from tree to tree to the edge of the cliff. He threw the flaming pinecones that were tossed to him, but he didn't dare let himself hope, didn't really dare let himself _think_ because he knew it was completely hopeless.

Then the tree fell, and his brothers fell, and everything snapped back into focus.

For one breathless second Nori was torn between holding still to not jostle the tree and make Dori and Ori loose their tentative grips and trying to climb to them and help, before he realized that the tree wasn't going to stay still even if he did.

_get to them_   
_get to them_   
_you'll think of how to save them later_   
_Dori is strong, he can last for a while, but not Ori, and not Dori with Ori's weight on him too_   
_...the rope!_   
_use the Elvish rope!_

Nori climbed as carefully as he could toward his brothers. His heart caught in his throat as he saw Dori's grip slip, only barely managing to grab Gandalf's staff.

Nori held on to the swaying tree as he tore the seam of his cloak, desperate to free the piece of rope he'd stolen. His fingers were clumsy with desperation, every second stretching into an eternity as the neat strong stitches he'd sewn fought him.

He finally pulled it free, turning to try to get it to his brothers.

The silky textured rope slid through his shaking fingers like water, dropping down into the darkness. He screamed, lunging after it.

_it betrayed you_   
_it knew it was stolen_

Nori's eyes rolled desperately as he looked around, searching for anything to give him hope. Thorin was lying on the ground amongst the Orcs.

_when did that happen?_

Bilbo was throwing himself on an Orc with his little elvish knife.

_be careful Hobbit, it'll betray you_

Fili and Kili and Dwalin were rushing off the tree toward Thorin and Bilbo. Everyone was going the wrong direction to save Ori and Dori. Nori looked down again, at his brothers. Their eyes were screwed shut as they fought to keep their grips.

Then they fell, and Nori's heart with them in a single crystallized moment of perfect horror.

Nori closed his eyes, limbs going loose as he rested his forehead on the tree. The swaying of the tree was going to knock him off if he didn't hold on, but he didn't care. There was nothing left.

He heard, dully, screams and shrieks and blasts of wind. He didn't care until claws wrapped around his bruised torso and sent him flipping into the open air.

Nori screamed on pure reflex as he fell, until suddenly he was caught on the back of an enormous bird. He saw to his shock other Eagles flying, surrounding him – other Dwarves and Gandalf on their backs. He sat up, fighting the hope that suddenly sprang into his chest. He could not dare to hope as his eyes searched the backs of the Eagles in the dark.

“Ori... Dori...” he whispered. “Please, Ori, Dori...”

“All fifteen are safe,” the Eagle said. Nori nearly threw himself off it's back in surprise, before the words sank in. He lay forward to sob in relief on the soft feathers, digging his hands in to hold tight as he shuddered in tears.

“Why do you weep?” the Eagle asked, quietly, when he had finally gathered himself back together.

“I thought I watched my brothers die," Nori answered. “I only came to keep them safe, but I can't. I can't even help them.”

“ah...” the Eagle said gently. “Your love for them does you honor. Rest now, son of Aule, your brothers are safe for this night. We will set you down far from here, where you will be safe.”

“Thank you.” Nori answered. He adjusted himself to be as comfortable as he could. He fought back the image of Dori's hands slipping from Gandalf's staff and tried to rest on the broad back of the Eagle as they flew through the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the Eagles can talk in the book, so that's my justification for having them talk in this story.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut that does not include bladed weapons? What is this?  
> Should I warn for injured sex? for sex with no cuddles afterward?  
> .

The Mountain stood out in the distance, lonely and proud. Dwalin had not set eyes on it since he was a young warrior, doing his best to protect the royal family as they fled their homeland, thrust out as wanderers into the cold world.

“Our Home,” Thorin said, his voice warm with hope. Thorin hadn't seen the Mountain since those days either.

_I will get it back for you, my King_   
_you will have your home_

The Hobbit was smiling, talking with Thorin.

_where did he come from?_   
_Thorin was dying and I was falling from the tree, and the Hobbit was there before I could get to him and he saved my King when I was helpless... but look at him_   
_he's so small and soft, like a child, tackling a foe that many a hardened warrior would hesitate to challenge, with nothing but a letter opener and his own bravery_   
_how did he manage it?_   
_it seems the wizard was right, and there is more to him than meets the eye_

The other Dwarves were gazing at the Mountain. Balin looked to have tears in his eyes – he of all the Company had the most memories of Erebor. Dori and Oin were others who remembered Erebor. Ori, Gloin, and Bifur Bofur and Bombur were seeing it for the first time. Ori had somehow kept his book and ink and was sketching with a broken quill.

The thief only glanced at the Mountain and then away, fiddling with something in his sleeve. He kicked his boots as he moved from foot to foot, restless.

_he was twitchy before the Goblins and we've been in a lot more danger now..._

“Isn't it beautiful, Nori?” Ori asked, smiling at the thief.

Nori shrugged, “It's a nice view, but it looks better from the south.”

_oh, of course the thief who doesn't care about the Mountain has seen it more than those of us who's hearts have bled for it all these years_

The thief took a small leather sheath out of his sleeve, with a thin knife in it. He rolled back Ori's sleeve and strapped it to his brother's forearm.

“I... I wasn't going to let the Goblins hurt you, Ori,” he said, quietly. He rolled his brother's sleeve back over the knife to conceal it as Ori looked at him in confusion, “I don't think I could ever use that knife again...” Nori shuddered, voice choked as he put his arms around his brother's shoulders and leaned his forehead against the side of Ori's head.

“Nori, you wouldn't have...” Dori gasped. He was silenced by a tortured glare from the thief, while Ori still didn't understand.

“You don't know, Dori,” the thief whispered. “You haven't seen.” He closed his eyes and turned away, shaking his head.

_he has seen what's left behind after Goblin torture..._   
_he would have killed his brother to spare him_   
_that is a terrible love_   
_I am not sure I could do it_

The Company made their slow, tired way down the steps of the Carrock and rested at the base. Oin went from Dwarf to Dwarf inspecting everyone for wounds while they stripped. They were all eager to wash the filth of the Goblin caves off in the stream.

Nori had slowly unbraided his hair and was taking his time getting his clothes off despite his nervous energy. He shifted in his tunic, plucking at it here and there in the way Dwalin remembered from the time in Rivendell. Dwalin had been too focused on sex, at the time, to really wonder about it.

Since Nori was standing the most still, Oin approached him. “Let's get this off,” the healer said loudly, tugging up on the hem of the Thief's tunic. Nori twisted away.

“In my own time,” he said.

Oin huffed. “I'll not have you hiding wounds, lad.” He stepped back up to grab Nori's tunic, only to be stopped by blades held to his throat and stomach.

“In. My Own. Time.” the thief's voice was pure acid, eyes blazing.

“Nori!” Thorin barked in a voice that would have had Dwalin dropping his weapons instantly. The thief took two steps back from Oin, but didn't drop his knives. His shoulders were stil. set in fight position. Thorin shook his head in exasperation.

“Let him be for now, Oin,” he shouted to the deaf old fusspot, but then turned to Nori. “He will be looking you over before we move on.”

“I don't mind,” Nori said, putting his knives away. “In my own time.” He continued plucking at his clothes until he seemed satisfied and slid out of his tunic, jacket, and gloves all at the same time. Dwalin hardly had time for the unsurprised realization that the thief had managed not to reveal the number and locations of any of his weapons before he was distracted by the bruising. Deep purple-black bruises spread across Nori's lean chest and stomach in two broad stripes, bleeding into greens and yellows on the edges.

Ori, busy wrestling his way out of his wool, made a soft sympathetic sound in his throat. Nori threw his brother a smile, patting the bruise gently.

“It looks worse than it is.” he assured his brother. He slid out of his pants and boots the same way he'd done his tunic, and Dwalin was glad he was standing in cold water. Bruised though he was, the thief still moved like a tomcat, all grace and swagger with his long hair swinging around him. He moved as though he knew everyone was looking and liked it. Of course nobody was looking.

_nobody but me_

Dwalin quickly looked away and busied himself with cleaning out all the little scrapes that Oin would no doubt be pouring stinging antiseptic over.

Nori wasn't the only one with bruises. Bofur was also significantly bruised from the Goblin king's fall, and Thorin of course was bruised across his entire torso from the Warg's bite. Everyone else had at least a few small ones.

Fili and Kili, somehow, had enough energy to start a splash war with each other. Everyone else climbed out of the water, too tired to participate. Clothes were washed and put into the sun to dry, and Dwarves sprawled out in the sun to dry too.

Oin finally finished his rounds with everyone, cleaning out even the most insignificant of scrapes with antiseptic to make sure they didn't become infected from the Goblin-cave filth. He paid particular attention to Bilbo's Goblin-bite. The Healer approached Nori cautiously, but the thief just smiled at him. He raised his arms so Oin could inspect his torso, which was bruised across the back as well as the front.

Oin poked and prodded, running his hands across the thief's ribs, chest, and back.

_...that soft skin on top of all those lean muscles_   
_No! I can't think about that I have no clothes on!_   
_why can't I control my eyes today?_   
_...how long has it been since I relieved myself?_   
_too long_   
_tonight I need to find some privacy and take care of that_

Nori was ordered to try not to overdo it for a few days, but luckily, as with the rest of the Company, he hadn't broken anything.

Thorin leaned back against a rock, packing a pipe with the last dregs of his pipe weed. He lifted it to Dwalin with a small smile, and Dwalin was more than glad to take him up on the offer. He settled himself beside his King to share a smoke.

_it's been so many years since we did this_   
_not since I was young and it was he and I with Dis and Frerin, sharing a tent and traveling in search of work, all four of us passing around a single pipe because we couldn't afford more, when we could get pipe weed at all_   
_so long ago_   
_such hard times, but strangely some of the sweetest memories_

“The Mountain has put me in a nostalgic mood,” Thorin said, breathing out a thin stream of smoke.

“Aye,” Dwalin agreed. He took a small drag from the pipe and and handed it back. They finished the pipe as slowly as they could in companionable silence.

When they were done Dwalin looked around, searching for a comfortable-looking spot to take a nap. He had not slept the previous night on the Eagle, and not much the night before before they were dropped into the Goblin caves.

_Aule have mercy why is the thief combing his hair?_   
_look away look away look away_   
_breathe_   
_think of unattractive things_   
_like the Goblin king_

Dwalin looked away quickly, trying to force the image of all that red-brown hair, loose around the thief's bare shoulders while he drew a comb down it, out of his mind.

_he wouldn't let me touch it anyway_   
_he pushed my hand away with a knife when I tried in Rivendell_

Dwalin decided it was time to put pants on, even if they weren't fully dry yet. He wasn't the only one to start to dress again. Fili and Kili had already decided to go foraging, though Gandalf warned them not to attempt to hunt anything.

Once he was safely hidden away, Dwalin was able to relax a little. The thief had also dressed himself a little, though just in a tunic. His hair was still loose, laying silkily along his back clear down to his bottom. He nervously plucked bits of grass and knotted them, flicking them into the stream to float away, eyes darting here and there, leg twitching in a nervous fidget.

_he's still twitching_   
_I wonder if it really does mean he wants a fuck_

Nori looked over at Dwalin calculatingly. His eyes swept past him to the other Dwarves, who were not paying attention, before flashing his fingers in the simple commands of guard-sign.

“you, me, that direction, not far.”

_oh_   
_of course he would know guard-sign, he would want to be able to tell what we were saying to one another, make it harder to catch him_   
_… I shouldn't, really, he's a thief and I can't trust him..._   
_but oh, to get to feel the heat of his body clenching around me again like I never thought I would get to feel, rubbing my face in that soft silky hair with my hands on those lean muscles..._   
_it'll have to be gentle, with his bruises_

Nori raised a braided eyebrow, waiting, running his fingers through his long hair.

“agreed.” Dwalin signed back

Nori stood and slipped into his boots. He  gathered up his belongings, organizing them into a neat bundle which he placed beside Ori, who was writing in his book.

“I'm going foraging, kill anyone who tries to touch my things,” he said. Ori nodded absently, yawning. Nori swaggered off into the trees in a different direction than he'd indicated to Dwalin without looking back.

_that just makes good sense_   
_we don't want the Company seeing us sneaking away in the same direction_   
_and especially not his brothers_

Dwalin waited a few minutes. Ori was buried in his book, and Dori was snoring lightly as he napped. No one was really paying attention, so Dwalin put on his boots and walked casually in the direction Nori had indicated.

The thief managed to sneak up on him, of course. The first Dwalin knew of him was the soft scrape of nails across his bare back. He clenched his fists and fought the urge to spin to grab the thief, knowing it wouldn't work. Nori laughed, rubbing himself lightly against Dwalin's back.

“I saw you trying not to watch me,” he whispered. His arms circled around to run his blunt nails down Dwalin's chest, to teasing circles brushing the edge of his pants.

Dwalin caught the thief's wrist and turned to face him. Nori had taken off his tunic and stood completely bare save for his boots. He flashed that cocky smile and pulled himself into Dwalin's chest, biting lightly along his collarbone. Each nip was a tiny jolt of pleasure through Dwalin's core as the thief rubbed himself against himwith a soft whimper, his silky hair falling over his shoulders.

_get my fingers in that hair, that soft soft hair_   
_no, no, he didn't want that_

Dwalin settled for running his hands over the thief's exposed shoulders, whisper-soft down his bruised ribs, down to that muscular arse to squeeze. He lifted the thief to grind their bodies together as hard as he dared. Nori climbed onto him, one hand wrapped around Dwalin's neck to support himself as he wrapped his legs around Dwalin's torso. His other hand tangled in Dwalin's thick chest hair before diving down between their bodies to expertly unlace his pants and push them down. Those perfect nimble fingers wrapped around the girth of Dwalin's cock, giving it a soft pump. Dwalin could feel his legs trembling as he groaned into the touch.

The ends of Nori's hair brushed against Dwalin's hands where they supported the thief, teasing him. He shifted Nori's light weight to a single arm and reached up unconsciously to touch. He stopped himself just in time, hand hovering awkwardly beside that gleaming red-brown hair.

_his hair, his hair is going to kill me_   
_it's so perfect and I can't touch it_

Nori looked at him, confused, for a moment before his eyes widened in realization. He released Dwalin's erection, grabbing the hovering hand and shoving it into his hair. Dwalin's fingers closed on reflex.

_so soft, so soft..._

The thief's hand dove back to Dwalin's erection, working him harder now. Dwalin ran his fingers though that silky hair, whimpering as he brought a handful up to rub against his cheek, eyes closed.

_yes, yes,_   
_fuck him now_   
_with his hair all over and so slick and tight_

“How... do you want...” Dwalin managed the words somehow. The thief looked around, licking his lips. His eyes gleamed and his breath panted out quick and light.

“Pin me against that tree and fuck me as hard as you can.” Nori gestured toward a large tree with a twist of his head. His hand clenched hard on Dwalin's erection, his legs squeezing Dwalin tight.

_oh Aule yes, but his bruises..._

“Oin said...” Dwalin tried, even as he stepped toward the tree.

“Oin can go fuck a Warg I know what I need,” Nori growled. His nails bit into Dwalin's neck as he pulled himself closer to rub his bruised chest against Dwalin's, stretching up against him to bite his ear. He whispered fast, breath hot, “I want to feel you pounding deep inside me. I want to feel our bodies smack together. I want your teeth in my skin while you pull my hair and fuck me until it  _hurts_.” Dwalin's stomach clenched in need as he groaned, pressing the thief against the tree.

Nori winced as his bruised back touched the rough bark, but he shifted his shoulders a little and flashed a quick smile that was all challenge. Dwalin gripped a big handful of that perfect red-brown hair close to the thief's scalp. Nori's eyes rolled back with a moan as he pulled.

_he really does want me to pull_   
_Aule give me strength I could finish right now_

Dwalin let go, running his fingers through the silky locks of hair. Nori moved his hand down from Dwalin's neck, running his nails down his back. The thief leaned forward to flick his tongue against Dwalin's nipple ring. He looked up at Dwalin with a grin up from under his braided eyebrows and stuck his tongue through the ring, curling it up to pull. His breath was hot against the sensitive nipple, a jolt of pleasure running white-hot from it to Dwalin's groin where the thief's hand still stroked him.

He forgot all about bruises, thrusting instinctively against the thief. Nori released his nipple ring with a gasp, arching up against him.

Nori suddenly had the tin of salve in his hand, flicking the lid off with his thumb. He released Dwalin's erection to scoop some up, spreading it across his fingers and reaching behind himself. His eyes fell closed and his breath stuttered as he prepared himself.

Dwalin released the thief's hair, taking up a healthy scoop of the salve himself. He pushing his pants down further to avoid staining them and spread the salve thickly on his cock, eyes locked on Nori's face. Nori bit his lip, gave a tiny gasp, arched as his body bucked against the pressure of his fingers. Dwalin had missed this the time before, too worried it wasn't going to work.

Finally the thief opened his eyes again. He nodded his approval of the amount of salve Dwalin had used and dropped the tin. He held Dwalin around the neck again as he shifted his muscular legs, guiding Dwalin's greased erection to his entrance. He pressed it with aching slowness against himself, eyes closed.

Dwalin held still, hardly daring to breathe as he fought every instinct to thrust in. The pressure grew as Nori's breath grew rough, his body arching up. His mouth flew open in a silent gasp as his body finally yielded and Dwalin was enveloped in the aching heat of him.

_so good, so good..._   
_he is so beautiful_   
_I still cannot believe he can take me_

Dwalin moaned, shaking with the effort of keeping still as the thief's body clenched and released around him, working him so, so slowly deeper. Nori's expression shifted back and forth from one of almost pain to ecstasy. He threw his head back with a groan out of the depths of his body when their hips finally touched and Dwalin was fully inside, drowning in the slick heat. Dwalin switched hands, supporting the thief's weight on his greased hand and reaching up to run his clean fingers through that soft soft hair.

“...good...good...” Nori mumbled. Little shivers ran across his body, his head hanging limp.

_please please please I don't know how much longer I can hold still_   
_I need_   
_I need!_

The thief raised his head finally. He bared his teeth in that smile that was all challenge as he flexed his legs, grinding Dwalin into the tight heat.

“Hard,” Nori ordered.

Dwalin dug his fingers into the silky hair at the base of Nori's skull pulling that perfect hair. He lifted him with his other hand, drawing himself almost all the way out before slamming himself back in all at once with a snap of his hips, earning a sharp moan from the thief. He repeated it twice more before the thief met his eyes.

“Harder,” Nori gasped.

_I will hurt him if I do it the way I did the last time, he's already injured..._

Dwalin picked up his pace, driving hard against the thief. He rubbed his fingers in that perfect silky hair that was pouring over the thief's lean body. The thief moaned and arched against him and everything was so hot and smooth and slick and so so _tight_.

“Harder... harder, please...” Nori moaned, “I'm not some... ah!... some pansy Elf. You can't break me... Harder!” he babbled. His eyes begged, nails digging into Dwalin's neck deep enough to hurt.

Dwalin braced his legs and shifted his grip on the thief's hip. He released his hair in favor of a grip on his shoulder, and let himself go.

He pounded himself home, slamming the thief into the tree, building his pace faster and faster. He remembered somehow that they were not so far from the Company and kept his voice to a rough growl. The thief's eyes rolled as he gasped and arched, his legs tight around Dwalin's torso.

“...yes... yes!” Nori gasped as he shifted his hips until he seemed to find the perfect angle. His jaw dropped and his arms went limp as his body clenched impossibly tight around Dwalin's cock. A deep animal sound tore out of the thief's throat, body bucking wildly as he sprayed his seed across his purple-bruised stomach, untouched.

_so tight... so slick... so warm... so beautiful... so..._

“Hammers of Aule...” Dwalin cursed, finally pushed to his limit. He threw himself forward, crushing the lean thief between himself and the tree. He muffling his sounds in waves of silky red-brown hair as he spent.

Dwalin's legs barely had the strength to hold him up through his completion. He guided himself and the thief to the ground as gently as he could. He cradled Nori against his chest as he lay, trying to recover himself as he slowly deflated, slipping slowly out of the heat of the thief's body.

Nori's eyes were closed, a small whimper under his breath as muscles twitched here and there on his body. Dwalin ran his fingers delicately over the thief's soft skin, especially gently over the bruises.

_that must have hurt_   
_I hope this is what he needed, regardless..._

Dwalin stroked his fingers through the long red-brown hair, a little tangled now, that framed the thief's face. Nori opened his eyes halfway, smiling slightly. He stretched with a small happy hum. Dwalin stroked with his thumb along the edges of that smile.

_his lips look so soft_

He leaned in, feeling the thief's warm breath, seeking those lips with his own...

Nori's eyes shot open, his teeth snapping viciously a hair's breadth from Dwalin's lips. The thief threw himself to his feet in a blur of red-brown hair and ferocious hazel eyes.

_No!_

The thief picked up the tin of salve and tucked it into his boot, plucking a big leaf from a nearby plant to wipe the seed off his belly as he walked away.

“Thanks for the fuck,” he said dismissively as he ducked through the trees. He grabbed his tunic from off a nearby branch and disappeared.

Dwalin reached out as if to try to stop him.

_why? what did I do wrong?_

He dropped his hand, angry with himself for the thought.

_that thief is not my lover_   
_he just wanted a fuck_   
_don't try to make this anything else!_

Dwalin levered himself to his feet and picked a leaf from the same plant Nori had to clean himself.

_he just wanted a fuck_   
_he only came to me because I'm convenient_

 

Nori's chest burned with every breath but oh, oh it had been worth it. It had been far too long since he'd spent from nothing but penetration. The sharp contrast between the pain of his ribs and the deep pleasure of being fucked had pushed him higher than he'd been in a long time.

_it was too close though, afterward_   
_a fuck should be just a fuck_   
_you shouldn't have let yourself lie there with him_   
_...warm and relaxed, held safe in those strong arms, his heartbeat against you..._   
_No!_   
_it's too dangerous and he is untrustworthy_   
_you will not... you will NOT!_

Nori shook his head, clearing away the unwanted thoughts.

_step one of averting any suspicion: go wash in the river again_   
_step two: find some berries or something to bring back_

 

Dori had been sleeping in the sun when Ori poked him. His littlest brother looked half-panicked. “Nori and Dwalin are gone, I'm worried, Nori went foraging but then Dwalin disappeared and I'm worried they're fighting again but I can't go look because I have to protect Nori's things and I don't know what to do?” Ori babbled in a tense whisper.

Dori patted his hand. “I'll go see,” He promised. He dressed himself in his mostly-dry clothes and got out of Ori which direction each of them had gone. He decided to follow Dwalin. Dwalin, being much more straightforward of a Dwarf, would be easiest to find.

It did not take long at all to find them.

Dori honed in on a growl and a smacking sound. He though for a moment that maybe Ori had been right and they _were_ fighting, until he stepped around a tree and saw them. He closed his eyes and stepped back, but the image was already burnt into his brain.

_that was certainly not fighting!_   
_...surprisingly athletic, though..._   
_ugh..._   
_don't be sick... don't be sick_   
_best be sure it's all consensual_

Dori listened for just long enough to hear Nori's voice panting 'yes' and left as quickly as he could.

_Nori is terribly bruised to be doing something like this!_   
_how like him to be so reckless_   
_I had so wished that he had grown out of this sort of behavior_

The first time his brother had paid for his freedom with his body, Dori thought he was drunk. He was still so young, and came home with a black eye and a split lip. He staggered in the door with the most ridiculous grin on his face, giggling so hard he almost choked.

This was when they all still lived together, only a few years after they lost their Mother, only a few years since Nori had begun to steal to support them when Dori's job was not enough to feed and clothe both himself and his two brothers. Dori had immediately gotten warm water and towels, cleaning his brother's face, waiting for the story. When he could detect no alcohol on his brother's breath, he began to worry that Nori was experimenting with more dangerous things.

Then the story came out, with Nori pausing every few sentences to giggle, of how he'd been chased and collared by a guard down a dark alley. He described in disturbing detail how he'd been 'buggered silly' and set free.

Dori had waited, as Nori giggled, for laughter to break into tears. He waited for his little brother to realize the horrible position he'd been in - what had been done to him.

Instead Nori had stretched like a cat, grinning from ear to ear. “Oh, Dori, that was the best fuck I've ever had. I need to get arrested _more often_ ,” he'd purred, and swaggered off to take a bath.

It was the beginning of the end for them. Dori could not understand, and Nori continued to blend danger with sex and little Ori was getting old enough to begin to understand things so Nori had to go. Over the years Dori had stopped hearing of Nori's exploits. He had hoped that his brother was learning to marry pleasure to safety and commitment like a responsible Dwarf but then here he was - bedding the most dangerous Dwarf in the Company. The one who happened to hate him the most.

Blending danger with pleasure, and taking pleasure in danger. Dori still could not understand. He came back to the Company, sat beside a worried Ori on the riverside.

“Don't worry about them,” Dori smiled. “They're not fighting.”

Ori smiled in relief, and Dori lay himself back down to try to sleep and drive the image of his brother and Dwalin from his mind.

_Nori you will get yourself killed._

Dwalin came back to the Company's gathering place not long after. He threw himself down on the rocks to nap, snoring loudly. Nori didn't come back for a while longer. He arrived with a spring in his step and a handful of wild berries which he shared with Ori.

_why Nori? why?_

Dori doubted his brother had any more an explanation now than he had as a young Dwarf. “Because it feels good. Because it's fun.” The only explanation Nori ever had for anything he did. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure why Dori insisted on sneaking in at the end.
> 
> For smutty art of this chapter, see:  
> http://iiskaa.tumblr.com/post/44507968720/more-of-my-sadly-underrepresented-hobbit-otp-pose
> 
> For art of this chapter that made me gigglesnort, see:  
> http://hattedhedgehog.tumblr.com/post/82638242284/basically-what-happened-in-chapter-13-of-of-your


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Interludes at Beorn's house
> 
> Since this fic was written before the second and third movies came out, it goes without saying that the fic will be drawing from book-canon only from this point on. 
> 
> I also feel like I should warn that this fic is going to rampantly assume that everyone is familiar with the book. I'm not going to walk every step of the way to Erebor, because I've already read the book, know the basic events and how they fit together, and it would be boring to me.  
> So, in this chapter we are at Beorn's house. I do not feel the need to recap how the Company met him or how Gandalf talked their way in or anything. They are just _there_.  
>  I hope I don't lose too many readers over that.

The Company spent a quiet few days relaxing in the skinchanger Beorn's home. Everything was carved of wood and far too big, and the intelligent animals were unnerving, but the beds in the large hall were much more comfortable than a bedroll on rocky ground and the food was good.

 

Nori spent some time teaching Ori how to use his new knife. He taught him how to flick it out of his sleeve without dropping it or slitting his own wrist, how to twist his arm just  _so_   when being patted down to keep it undetected.

Dwalin glowered particularly hard at that last bit of knowledge. Dori was not pleased that Ori had a knife at all, especially a dishonorable hidden knife more suited to quiet stabbing than for honest fighting.

Nori ignored them both.

_Ori needs to be armed, that slingshot is not nearly enough against a serious enemy_   
_and you cannot touch that knife again, with what you would have done with it in your hand_   
_it was give the knife away or destroy it, and Ori needs to be armed_   
_fitting, that he owns the knife that would have killed him_   
_you got some of your own favorites that way_

Ori grinned and practiced flicking his new knife out of his sleeve. His bulky knitted gloves didn't help with his dexterity, but he wasn't too bad for a beginner.

 

Nori was not surprised when Dori cornered him. He had expected something about giving Ori a knife, and probably something about what he would have done to keep him safe from the Goblins. Nori did not fight when Dori grabbed him by the arm and towed him to a quiet corner of the house. He could have pulled a knife, and Dori could have crumbled his bones with pure grip-strength. They both knew it, and neither did. Never in all their years of fighting had they injured one another beyond slight bruises.

That was love. In some of the worst years it was the most they could give one another.

_please please please don't let our relationship go back to that now_   
_will he understand that you're just trying to protect Ori?_

“I had hoped you had grown out of this kind of dangerous behavior,” Dori hissed. His voice was low, gray eyes glittering with anger. “You had Ori panicked. What if  _he_  had gone looking for you instead of me? How would you explain that to him? And why, of all people, would you chose Dwalin?”

_wait..._   
_this isn't about the knife or the goblins at all_   
_oh, fuck_

“I'm sorry you saw that,” Nori said. “But it is not your business who I fuck – or when, or how, or why.”

_he never could understand that sometimes a fuck is just a fuck_   
_everyone has a good time and goes on their way_   
_it's simple and easy_   
_...you can't lose him over this, not now_

Dori gave him a sharp look. “You'll get yourself killed with your recklessness some day. What will I tell Ori then?”

He shoved Nori in the chest, not a hard shove, just enough to send him thudding against the wall. His bruises flared to life, fire across his ribs, and Nori gasped. Dori immediately winced, realizing what he had done. He reached gentle hands out to soothe, but Nori pushed through them to put his arms around his brother's shoulders.

He rested their foreheads together, looking into Dori's worried gray eyes. “We're all going to die, Dori,” he said, squeezing Dori's shoulder to shush him when he would have interrupted. “I don't mean eventually. We're going to be killed by a dragon if we even make it that far. You remember the dragon, do you really think we'll survive that?”

Dori looked down, unable to meet his eyes. “We have a wizard...” he didn't sound very sure. Nori bit back the retort that Smaug would not be impressed by flaming pinecones and shadow tricks. “Please,” Dori finally said, eyes pleading. “I don't know what game you're trying to play, but please keep away from Dwalin?”

“I'm willing to go,” Nori whispered back. “Whenever you're ready to walk away, I'm willing to go.”

_oh, but are you?_   
_are you really?_   
_would you leave them all behind without a second look?_   
_would you leave Fili and Kili, with all their energy and always wanting to learn things they should know that nobody would teach a prince?_   
_would you leave Bofur with all his stories and jokes, sweet shy Bombur who just wants to please, and patient Bifur who is afraid of nothing?_   
_would you leave Oin, who is always willing to talk knot language with you, and Gloin who is always up to spar and trusted you enough to bury a chest of gold with even though he knows you for what you are?_   
_would you leave Balin, who trained Ori to be a scribe? Ori adores him_   
_would you leave brave little clueless Bilbo to do all the burgling himself? it takes more than light feet to get away with theft_   
_would you leave Thorin, who was willing to step forward and reveal himself to save Ori, who was willing to welcome you into his Company, who made you a special contract because you could not sign the one he had made?_

Dori shook his head. “You know I can't,” he whispered. He patted Nori's cheek as he pushed out of their embrace, and walked away.

Nori closed his eyes and carefully leaned his bruised back against the wooden wall. He settled his head against it with a soft thump.

_fuck_   
_loyalty is a poison_   
_it is how thieves and cutthroats die_   
_you liked the feeling of a family of thirteen around you_   
_look where it's gotten you_

 

Dwalin leaned back against a tree, keeping an eye on things as the Company spread around Beorn's property. Everyone was resting and recovering. Fili and Kili were wrestling. Ori was talking to a goose for some reason. Bilbo was sitting quietly out in the sun of the grassy hillside. The Hobbit's pipe had somehow survived everything they had been through so far and he was sitting with his eyes closed, cradling it in his hands and smelling it with a wistful expression. The Hobbit had run out of his pipe weed a few days before the Goblin caves, though he hadn't said a word of complaint.

_I can sympathize with that_   
_I wouldn't mind a smoke myself_

The thief crept up and sat beside Bilbo. He rummaged in his bulky clothes for a bit before he handed something to the Hobbit. "Here,” he said. Bilbo jumped, not having heard Nori approach.

“Oh, I couldn't,” Bilbo said. He politely declined the offered leather-bound packet of pipe weed.

“Take it,” Nori tried again.

“To be honest, I'm not terribly fond of Dwarven pipe weed,” Bilbo confided. “But thank you for the offer.”

Nori shook his head slightly as he opened the packet, shoving it practically in Bilbo's face. “It's yours,” he said.

Bilbo's eyes closed as he inhaled the scent, his face creasing into a smile. “Longbottom leaf,” he breathed worshipfully. “Where did you get... Oh nevermind. Let's have a smoke!” The Hobbit began eagerly packing his pipe, gesturing Nori to do the same. The thief looked bemused as he obeyed.

“Dwalin!” The Hobbit spotted him and waved him over. “Come have a smoke with us! Hobbiton's finest Longbottom leaf!”

Dwalin had never taken to Hobbit pipe weed, it was far too mellow with no good bite to it, but he was long out of his own and he did want a smoke. He walked over and sat himself on the opposite side of the smiling Hobbit from Nori, taking some of the offered pipe weed.

“He stole it from you,” Dwalin said, not sure Bilbo had understood. The Hobbit laughed, glancing at the thief who did not even have the grace to look embarrassed.

“Well, yes, I recognize the wrapping,” Bilbo said. “But to be honest I'm just too glad to have it right now to care. It would have gone stale long before I got home if he hadn't.” The Hobbit took a long drag from his pipe and blew a perfect smoke ring, grinning at it as it floated away.

“Bofur!” The Hobbit sprang to his feet, having spotted the miner ambling past. He ran over, holding the packet of pipe weed, “Bofur, have some Longbottom leaf with me? It's the best, other than Old Toby, of course, and...” He was quickly out of earshot, but Dwalin could see that Fili and Kili had gravitated over and were being given pipefulls of the Hobbit's pipeweed.

_at this rate he won't have any more pipe weed by the time we leave here_   
_...but that might be his plan, he does seem to like to share_

Nori laughed, shaking his head as he took a long drag from his pipe.

“You stole from a member of the Company.” Dwalin said, quietly, watching the thief for his reaction.

_he knows he could be dismissed from the Company for that, and where would he go, out here in the wilds with no supplies?_

Nori shrugged, breathing out a cloud of smoke. “He hadn't signed the contract... and I gave it back.” The thief turned away from Dwalin, not a single hair escaping his red-brown braid.

_damn thief_   
_why doesn't he care about anything?_   
_...anything but his brothers..._   
_what do I have to do to make him care?_   
_and how is his hair so perfect? I could just wrap that silky braid around my hand and pull while I bite gently on the side of his neck and he moans and..._   
_No!_   
_he is a thief, as he just proved again , and I will not... I will not want anything to do with him_

Dwalin looked away. Ori had a goose quill in one hand and was trying to get his new knife out of his sleeve with the other. He managed it without dropping the knife, but it was a close thing. He began carefully shaping his new quill into writing shape.

“Ori likes his new knife,” Dwalin said, to change the subject. Nori turned back to look at him, expression unreadable. “It was right, what you would have done for him. I don't know that I could have.”

Nori flinched, expression going hard. “I'm not your friend.” he said, hard and quiet. “I'll fight beside you, and I might fuck you if I have the need and you're willing... but I don't like you, and I'll never trust you.” He pulled down his collar slightly and turned his neck to the side, revealing the thin white scar Dwalin had put there. Nori ran his thumb down it pointedly and stood, taking a long drag from his pipe.

“Stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours,” he said. He walked away back toward Beorn's house without looking back.

_blood seeping down my axe blade, the strangled whisper of 'please', and an knot of my hair_   
_did I really almost allow myself to forget what I did to him?_

Dwalin reached into his pocket. His fingers brushed past a flower knotted from a thread of his tunic and a dragonfly made of the thief's hair to pick up a spiky knot of his own hair. He pulled it out, gently touching the spikes he could not read.

_he did not kill me for it, and that is more forgiveness than I deserve_

 

_he looked like you stabbed him, you should..._

Nori nearly turned back, but stopped himself firmly.

_you didn't say anything that wasn't true_   
_you can't trust him, even if he is turning out to be a good fuck_   
_he put a scar on your neck and threw you in jail_   
_there are rules that don't get broken and he broke them_   
_make your peace with whoever in this damn unwanted family of the Company you feel you must, but not him_   
_keep that much, at least_

Nori rummaged around in his clothes and found his thread. He pulled off a length to make a simple knot.

_keeping away from Dwalin will at least make Dori happy_

 

Oin had no idea when the thread had gotten on his ear trumpet. He'd pounded it back into shape with the help of Gloin, who was a decent smith, and it had not left him since. No one should have been able to do it, but there was no denying that there was a soft gray thread knotted around his ear trumpet.

He took his jeweler's glass from his pocket, glad it had not gotten cracked in all the fighting and falling the Company had been doing, and inspected the knot. It was a simple thing, plain, with a single meaning.

_apologies_

Those neat, consistent little knots could only be Nori's hand. Oin smiled. He slipped the thread from his battered but serviceable ear trumpet and tucked it in his pocket.

It was true he'd been feeling a little nervous around the star-haired member of their Company since he'd had knives pulled on him. It was hardly the first time he'd had a patient threaten him, though usually they waited until he did something that hurt.

It made him feel better to have been apologized to, and in such a genteel manner. It had surprised him at first that a rough character like a thief would be such a master in the language, but there was more to Nori than just his questionable choice of career. Oin was glad of it. He had not forgotten a knotted dragonfly of red-brown hair in Nori's unmistakable hand. Such an intimate gift meant there had, at least once, been some attraction between them.

It would be nice for Dwalin to have someone.

 

Thorin sat near the fireplace. Evening had come and their skinchanger host was out on patrol. Most of the rest of the Company had gone to bed.

Nori sat down near Thorin.

_this is a bad plan_   
_why does it have to be this way?_   
_because he sleeps too lightly and it's always on him, that's why_   
_just ask_

He looked up to see Thorin's eyes on him, calculating.

“Can I see the key?” Nori asked.

Thorin's eyebrows raised in surprise. He touched the pocket of his jerkin, making sure the key was still there.

_did he really think you'd asked because you'd already taken it?_   
_that's flattering_

“Is there a reason?” Thorin asked.

“Yes,” Nori answered, ignoring Thorin's look. The king expected to get an explanation. He wouldn't.

Thorin's eyebrows raised even higher, but then he almost laughed, shaking his head. “Your secrets... if I knew the reason, would I agree to let you see the key?”

_if you explained to him that you could mimic almost any key, but that his key was unusual enough that you needed a second closer look he might not trust that_   
_he might think you wanted to ditch the company and go for the Dragon yourself_   
_as though you would_   
_but if you explained that he might lose the key, or it could become damaged in some way, and wouldn't it be convenient to not have to worry about that so much?_   
_he might_   
_but he has no reason to trust your loyalty, you've told him to his face he has none of it_

Nori looked away. “If you believed me when I told you,” he said. He smiled wryly, standing. “Good night...”

Thorin held out a hand to stop him from walking away. Piercing ice blue eyes caught his as Thorin gave him a long searching look. He pulled the key out of his clothes and paused for a long moment before handing it over.

Nori took it quickly, before Thorin changed his mind. He held it out in front of the fire light, running his fingers over it. He committed it's dimensions to memory, trying to figure out which pieces of his adjustable key would work to mimic it, trying to figure out which parts of the key were working bits and which parts were mere decoration. He was almost completely sure that he could copy the key well enough to work. Usually decorative keys like this one had much simpler locks than it looked like they were designed to open.

He placed the key back in Thorin's hand. “Thank you,” he said quietly.

_damn him, why does he have to make it worse by trusting you?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Methinks Nori doth protest too much.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> turning point

The Company was in good spirits when they left Beorn's lands and made their way toward Mirkwood. They took fewer supplies than they might have liked to because Beorn would not agree to let his ponies into the forest itself. They took only what they thought they would be able to carry themselves, including all the water they would need, which limited the amount of food they could bring.

They had enough for a few weeks, but it would stretch longer if they could supplement it with hunting.

Dwalin kept out of the thief's way. The thief kept out of his way.

A few days had healed up the worst of everyone's bruises, and Nori was soon back to teaching dirty fighting to the young princes in the evenings when they set up camp. Fili, in particular, took to it like a duck to water. He practiced the moves with a gleeful ferocity that Dwalin found a little disturbing.

“Does it not worry you?” he asked Thorin one evening as they watched Fili and Kili practicing.

Thorin thought for a while before he answered, “I trust my sister-sons to be honorable. They will not use this without need.”

Dwalin did not question it again.

The practicing ended when they entered Mirkwood. No air seemed to move under the oppressive darkness of the trees and the sounds of animals moving that they could not see were unfamiliar. The Company slept close together, so that no one could reach out without touching someone else.

There were eyes in the darkness beyond their small campfires that were not like any Dwalin knew.

There was no hunting to be had. The one time Kili managed to shoot a strange squirrel the meat had proven too foul to eat. Their food diminished faster than they had hoped. It was tempting to think that the Wizard had sent them into the forest to die, but if he truly wanted them dead he'd had many chances before.

Day after day they slogged on through the endless suffocating forest. Not even Bofur's optimism could hold on forever, and the Company fell into silence with almost no words passed between them through the days.

As their food began to run out, families began to try to give up their shares of food to one another. Fili and Kili both tried to give the other a bigger share, while Thorin tried to split some of his between them. Bifur Bofur and Bombur all three tried to give each other food, with Bofur additionally trying to give some to the Hobbit, who tried to give his to the miner. Dori bullied Ori into taking some of his, while Nori split some of his share between his brothers by stealth. Dwalin thought that he and his immediate family were mature enough to be immune until he spied Oin sneaking some to Gloin, and caught Balin shorting his own share in favor of Dwalin.

He sorted Balin out with a sharp glare and half of his own share for the evening.

A few days later it stopped being a problem because there was no food to share.

They had four days of water left, if they were frugal.

They had no idea how much further they had to go.

Two days later they were all seated around their small fire in silence, all too miserable to even complain of their misery.

The thief sighed heavily and rummaged around in his clothes to pull out a small flat rectangular package of something. He stared at it for a long time before looking at Ori who was curled up in Dori's lap. He sighing again and pulled out a knife.

No one said anything, but the eyes of the Company slowly turned to him as the thief unwrapped the package. He cut what was inside into seven pieces lengthwise, and then in two widthwise into fourteen equal pieces.

“Not all jails feed their prisoners,” Nori said, quietly, in explanation. His voice was a shock in the silence after a wordless day.

Nori stood, holding the tiny portion of food. He walked slowly around the fire, offering it to each member of the Company in turn. No one turned him down.

Dwalin was almost surprised when Nori did not skip him or give his portion to someone else to hand over. The thief held eye contact as he offered Dwalin a piece of what was unmistakeably  _cram,_ Dwarven emergency rations. It was dry and bland and indestructible, but it was food.

It tasted as though it had been tucked into the thief's jacket for at least a decade.

Thorin put a hand on Nori's shoulder as he took the second-to-last piece, giving a small squeeze of gratitude. The thief looked away and walked back to sit beside his brothers. He offered the piece of oilcloth the  _cram_  had been wrapped in to Ori to clean up the crumbs while he ate the final piece himself.

It was only enough food to remind Dwalin how empty his stomach was, even after Thorin ordered a little extra water for everyone to wash it down.

_he didn't have to share_   
_it would have been easy for him to eat it himself, or just share it with his brothers_   
_why did he do it?_

 

Nori woke to a body throbbing with pain, unable to move. Hardly able to breathe. His thoughts felt slow and heavy in his pounding head.

_don't remember fighting_   
_doesn't quite feel like being beaten and left for dead_   
_not quite like a hangover either_   
_were you poisoned?_   
_how?_

He tried to piece everything together through the haze of pain and nausea.

_traveling through the damn forest, no food or water, lured off the path by firelight and music and the smell of food and it's damn Elves_   
_they disappear and we're all scattered in the dark, finding and holding your brothers and falling asleep lost_   
_does not explain where you are_   
_...should not have left the path..._

There were horrible sounds, like dry creaky laughter and hissed words. He wasn't sure if he was moving or if it was just the nausea that made him feel like he was bouncing and swaying.

Nori passed gently out of consciousness with no more answers than when he'd awoken.

 

Nori woke again with his thoughts slightly less fuzzy. He was still unable to breathe right and he was still nauseous and in pain. He tried to move and found that he could wiggle slightly, but that something was holding him. Something was wrapped around him everywhere from head to toe. It felt sticky and uncomfortably tight.

He decided that he was definitely swaying. It wasn't all in his pounding head. He wondered briefly if he was on a boat, but there were no sounds of water. There were other noises and he tried to piece them together, to figure out where he was and what was happening. It took him a while to realizie the hisses he was hearing were words.

Words talking about which one to eat first. Complaining that they were all too skinny.

_yet another undignified way to die, unable to protect your brothers, tied up helpless and eaten by some forest monster_

Nori nearly managed to resign himself to it by the time he heard the Hobbit's voice singing some nonsense song and horrible screams like dying monsters. Bilbo's voice traveled away followed by the creaking and hissing of the monsters, and Nori was bobbing in silence.

He tried to reach a knife, any knife, but he was trussed up more thoroughly than he had ever been in his life.

The Hobbit's voice came back, speaking quietly. It sounded like Kili was answering him, and then whatever was holding Nori was being cut with a sharp little Elvish knife and Bilbo's worried little face was in front of him.

“Please try to hold on to the tree, you don't want to fall,” Bilbo was saying. Nori looked down, to realize that he was up in a tree that was covered in enormous spider webs.

“Quickly please,” Bilbo begged, “The spiders will be back soon. Just try to climb out onto the tree branch please?”

Nori's entire body felt stiff. His muscles fought his command as, with the Hobbit's help, he pulled himself onto the tree branch. As soon as he was settled Bilbo left and Nori heard him coaxing someone else out of a cocoon.

Kili was on the branch below Nori, retching heavily with nothing coming out. There were more hanging cocoons above him.

_each one has a dwarf_   
_two of them are your brothers_

He forced his unwilling body to move, to climb slowly up the tree to lean beside another cocoon. His fingers were stiff and didn't want to hold a knife but he made them. He slowly cut the sticky strands until he saw that it was Fili. It took some time and care to coax the prince out onto the branch, and Nori moved on to the next one.

That was when the spiders came back, shrieking and hissing. Bilbo had been helping Gloin out of a cocoon and looked around desperately.

“I'm going to disappear,” he announced.

And did.

_...how..._   
_how!?_   
_not fair!_

Within moments rocks were being flung down on the ground and a nonsense song being sung and the spiders chased off after the sound as it rushed away.

“Fili,” Nori said, cutting open a cocoon. “We have to get everyone out.”

Fili nodded. He awkwardly pulling out a knife and made his slow way to another branch of the tree to help.

Nori pulled Dori out of the cocoon. His elder brother looked haggard and half-unconscious. Nori set him firmly on the branch and worked his way further up the tree.

Bilbo showed up again, appearing from nowhere at the base of the tree and climbing up with a desperate look in his eyes.

Fili pulled Ori out of a cocoon, and Nori almost stopped. He almost gave in to the pain and the nausea and sat down because his brothers were safe... but they weren't really safe. And they only had about half of the cocoons open.

He climbed slowly up to the next branch, fighting through the pain and stiffness.

They had all the cocoons open and were getting everyone down to the ground when the spiders returned.

Bilbo disappeared again

_HOW!?_

and spiders were being attacked. The screamed horribly as their legs were severed and sides split. Rocks began to be thrown and the strange little song went running back out into the trees followed by the spiders again.

The Dwarves regrouped on the ground, holding on to one another to keep on their feet. Nori stood between Ori and Dwalin, helping Ori get his knife out of his sleeve and hold it even though his baby brother's hand was stiff and his limbs uncooperative.

Bilbo appeared again at a dead run, splattered in spider gore. He urged them onward and they followed, staggering along as quickly as they could.

The spiders caught up with them, and this time they would not be drawn off. They circled the bedraggled Company with clicking mandibles and horrible laughter. Dwalin clenched his fists, the only weapons he had left, and Nori noticed other Company members picking up sticks and rocks.

Almost no one had weapons left.

He pressed his knife into Dwalin's hand wordlessly, pulled another knife from his sleeve to hand to Dori, the one nestled along his spine to Kili, two boot knives going to Oin and Gloin. He kept for himself the matched pair he kept up against his ribcage. Fili still had one of his knives as had Balin, Bifur, and Bofur. Bombur was in no shape to be fighting, he could not stand without support.  
Weak as they all were, the Company would not have lasted long without Bilbo flashing in and out of visibility. He screamed into the spider ranks from unpredictable directions with his little letter opener swinging. As it was, it was a close thing. The fighting was a daze of pain and nausea for Nori, slicing at spiders as they attacked and trying to keep them off his family as the group retreated.

They still might not have survived if they hadn't come across a circle where the light was brighter and the spiders would not follow. They turned back with horrible squeals and ran away.

As soon as the immediate danger was past they all collapsed, except for Bilbo. He stood trembling, pacing, eyes searching out into the forest.

Ori began dry-heaving and Dori awkwardly petted his back. Bombur seemed to have lost consciousness entirely. Everyone else was just exhausted and sick.

Nori sat and tried to breathe. He slowly cleaning his knives to get himself under control, forcing his fingers to move through the stiffness.

He was so focused that at first he did not realize Dwalin had gathered up the five knives he had lent to the Company and was sitting beside him. The giant was firmly settled and cleaning them of spider gore by the time he noticed. Neither Dwarf said anything as they worked.

“I think this circle is where the Elves were,” Bilbo said. Those of the Company with the strength to care hissed.

“Oh, oh I know,” he said, nervous at their anger. He turned and looking around and around, “But, if this is the same place, the path should be... somewhere...”

_silly brave little Hobbit_   
_he still thinks we have a chance_   
_we had none even before we left the path, and now we're injured on top of that_

When all of Nori's knives were clean, he paused. He looking at Dwalin, who was looking back.

_he's not found some of these knives on you_   
_it would be best if he did not know where they live_

Dwalin turned away, looking out into the forest. Nori glanced around to make sure no one else was looking before tucking them all away.

“Do you have more?” Dwalin asked, quietly.

_why does he need to know that?_   
_but what does it matter what he knows? we're dying_

“Yes," Nori said, equally quiet. Dwalin gave a hoarse little laugh.

He didn't ask how many.

He didn't ask where they were kept.

 

They didn't rest long in the Elf circle. Nori knew he wasn't the only one who distrusted it. The Company argued weakly about which direction the path was and set out slowly in the direction most of them though was right.

By the time the eternal dusk was turning into night they still hadn't found the path. They bedded down all in a big pile of Dwarves. The Hobbit stood a little apart to keep watch, though what he might see in the inky blackness Nori didn't know.

Nori cuddled Ori into his side, Dori on the other side of their little brother. Nori didn't know who he was beside on the other side, it had already been so dark and he was too tired to care and so, so sick. He leaned against the Dwarf on his other side.

_…safe_   
_strong and warm and safe_   
_and he smells all raw and animal and wild and... safe_

Nori buried his face against the furs on the big shoulder of the Dwarf he leaned against.

_...safe..._   
_...no... no, no he's not safe, he's... he's untrustworthy?_

He looked up to see Dwalin looking back down on him in the quickly fading dusk.

_un... untrustworthy?_   
_...that is such a tired lie_   
_have you ever met someone who wanted to touch your hair so badly and stopped themselves because you'd once told them not to?_   
_he looked away and let you put your knives away_   
_he pulled you out from under the Goblin king, and he carried you along when you couldn't walk_   
_he could have just run and left you behind to crush to death_   
_he was gentle about your bruises until you begged him not to be_   
_he could have told Thorin that you stole Bilbo's pipe weed and had you thrown out of the Company, but he didn't_   
_he puts himself between Ori and danger, when he can_   
_in Rivendell he was so worried that he would hurt you..._   
_he didn't hurt you when he arrested you, though he could have_   
_he always tied your hands gently, and he never punched or kicked you even though you provoked him and he was angry that you could always escape_   
_whatever it was that happened that time with him in that alley, do you really think it was intentional?_   
_the knitting Dwarf in the jail said he was not the type to trade a fuck_   
_he'd never done it before, had he? he had no idea what he was doing with you_   
_he broke the rules... did he even know there were rules?_   
_have you ever seen him do anything, other than you, that would make you believe he is anything but the most honest and honorable Dwarf you have ever met?_

Nori closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Dwalin's shoulder, breathing in that scent that had somehow said safety.

_we're dying here_   
_whether by thirst or by spiders or some other danger of this accursed forest, we are dying_   
_what does it matter anymore if you like or dislike him?_

“m'sorry,” Nori mumbled. He felt the giant tense beside him.

_he's going to push you away, but he'll do it gently because he knows he's big and he doesn't want to hurt you_   
_he never uses more of his strength than he has to_

Dwalin sighed. The tension left him as quickly as it had come. He reached his arm around Nori's shoulders to pull him in closer with one enormous hand.

“ 'm sorry too,” he said in a quiet rumble that carried all the way through Nori. His big fingers reached up and gently petted Nori's braid.

_ah... get him away from that, you don't want him to find your key!_

Dwalin seemed to feel Nori's discomfort and dropped his hand quickly.

_you can't have him touching your braid, but maybe he could touch the very ends of your hair_   
_maybe you can give him a little comfort in return_

Nori took Dwalin's hand and put it on his hair, beneath the tie. Dwalin's fingers curled around it, stroking it gently.

Nori wiggled in tight to the big, comforting bulk of the giant. He pulled Ori in close to his other side.

_safe_

he breathed, even though he knew it wasn't true

 _safe_  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you care to oogle some beautiful art from this chapter?  
> http://mianewarcher.tumblr.com/post/43762941400/the-last-panel-now-i-gotta-clean-up-everything


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> capture and escape  
> also, Nori is kind of ruthless

Ori woke up and wished he hadn't.

Everything was pain - from the sharp knot of hunger in his belly, to the dry ache of his throat, to the pounding of his head and the throbbing burn of his muscles from the spider poison.

The solid bulk of Dori was behind him, and it was comforting to hear his brother's breath whuffing softly in sleep, to feel a strong arm around him. Nori was in front of him, and that was comforting too. It was good to be completely surrounded by the brothers who had taken care of him his whole life.

Ori opened his eyes to the dim light of early morning in Mirkwood.

It took him a while to make sense of what he saw, because it looked like big tattooed fingers winding through the end of Nori's hair, and that made no sense. It still made no sense when he realized that he _was_ seeing it right. Dwalin had his arm around Nori, and Nori was cuddled up tight to his side with his face pressed into Dwalin's shoulder.

They looked peaceful. Ori hoped that they moved before they woke up and realized what they had been doing.

He carefully moved Dori's arm and wiggled his way out of the pile of Dwarves without waking anyone. Even Bilbo was asleep, half-sitting against a tree with his knife in his hand.

Ori took his book out of his pocket, and his ink and quill. He knew he needed to keep up the record, even if things looked very bad right now. He was the scribe. He was on this quest for one reason only. He opened the book, dipped his quill, and stared at the blank page.

There were no words.

He had no words left, but there were still pictures They flowed out of his quill onto the page in big black strokes.

_the gaunt hollows in Dori's cheeks_   
_the despair in Thorin's eyes_   
_the elves holding food and drink, laughing with sharp cruel faces_   
_spiders_   
_spiders and spiders and spiders_   
_spiders being gutted by Nori with his double knives_   
_spiders leaping out of the page with dripping fangs and glittering eyes_

Ori blotted the page, his hands shaking and his breath coming in big shuddering gasps. He thought he would probably be crying if he weren't so, so dry and thirsty.

Gentle arms wrapped around him tight. Nori gently plucked the quill and book from his hands and set them aside, pulling Ori against his chest. Ori curled into a ball in his brother's lap, not caring that he was far too old to need to be held this way. Nori rocked him gently and hummed a quiet song that he remembered from his childhood.

The rest of the Company woke soon afterward. They groaned quietly, stretching, picking any last bits of spider string off their clothes and out of their hair. Eventually Dwalin stood and offered a hand up to Master Balin first, and then Ori. To Ori's surprise he offered one to Nori next, who even more surprisingly accepted it.

Dori looked like he would cry when he saw the drawings in Ori's still-open book, but he just closed it and put it in Ori's pocket. He bumped their foreheads together gently before wrapping his arm around Ori to support him as they followed Dwalin, stumbling onward through the forest.

 

Dwalin's boot caught on something he thought he'd lifted his leg high enough to step over. His already shaky balance faltered before he felt Nori's hand on his arm, steadying him.

It had been this way all day. Nori tripped and Dwalin caught him, Dwalin stumbled and Nori was there.

They had neither of them spoken a word to the other since the mumbled apologies the night before, but there didn't need to be words. Acceptance was enough. Taking what small comfort they could offer one another here at the end was enough.

_I could do worse than to die beside a Dwarf who would share his last mouthfuls of food when he is starving_   
_I could do worse than to die beside a Dwarf who would trust his beloved knives to the members of the Company when he saw they were disarmed_   
_I could do worse than to die beside a Dwarf who loves his family as much as he does_   
_even if he is a thief_   
_even if he cannot trust anyone to see where he keeps his knives_   
_even if he rejects the intimacy of a kiss_   
_I could be proud to die beside him_

Nori listed to the side, eyes falling closed. Dwalin caught him by the shoulder before he fell, and the smaller Dwarf shook himself back to alertness.

They kept walking on.

Only the Hobbit seemed to have any hope left. He made his way up and down the ragged line of Dwarves, encouraging, smiling through his hollow eyes and dehydration-split lips. No one had the heart to try to stop him. The poor little thing was nervous already, jumping and disappearing at the slightest provocation.

Dwalin had caught Nori eying Bilbo's magic ring before shaking his head with a wry smile. “Wouldn't even be fun anymore,” he'd said to himself, and then ignored the vanishing Hobbit.

The dim light began to fade again. Dwalin was beginning to look for a sheltered place for the Company to spend another hopeless night when lights blazed to life around them and they were surrounded by Elves.

No one had the energy to do anything but sit down and wait to be taken prisoner. Dwalin caught, out of the corner of his eye just before he was blindfolded, Nori flash a smile to little Ori.

_of course_   
_there is not a prison that can hold him_   
_Thorin was right that..._

But the thought of Thorin, lost and alone or dead, was too painful to finish.

 

Fili was screaming, while Kili was taking the silent approach.

Both were utterly ruthless.

Nori felt a spike of pride in his teaching as the brothers fought the Elves who would separate them. They were doing a very good job of adapting some of the things he'd taught them to the larger opponents.

It was hopeless, of course, but Nori could not blame them. Fili was all rage and calculation, but Kili was utterly terrified. Nori knew that if Ori had that look on his face he would not stop fighting as long as he could move.

Speaking of Ori, he wasn't terrified but he was looking frightened. They had been dragged far too quickly, stumbling and blind, to the Elf king's hall and questioned. Balin had answered for them all, reiterating over and over that they were sick and thirsty and starving and saying nothing else, but very very politely.

Nori felt another little surge of pride that Ori had, despite his exhaustion and fear, remembered to twist his arm to keep his arm knife hidden when the Elves patted him down.

Nori's pat-down had been surprising for the Elf who did it. Nori had smiled at the exclamations of shock as more and more weapons were found on him. The wary way they eyed him afterward almost made up for the fact that they had done an extremely thorough job of it.

They had gotten almost half of his weapons.

Nori took advantage of Fili and Kili distracting the guards to shift his weight this way and that, which made the guards holding him respond by pulling him in the opposite direction. Soon he was close enough to Ori to lean forward and whisper, quick and quiet, in his brother's ear.

“I love you, be brave, I'll get us out, there's not a prison built that can hold me, the Elves won't hurt you, I love you, I'll get us out no matter what it takes, I don't know how long it'll take but I'll get us out, I love you.” Nori's guards realized what he was doing and hauled him back with sharp words in their language, but Ori looked a little less scared.

Fili and Kili were quickly subdued, and then the Company was scattered and taken to separate cells.

_make it harder to get everyone out, but you'll think of something_   
_maybe the invisible Hobbit can help, if he made it this far_

Nori was gently prodded into his cell, and caught a helpful glimpse of the shape of the key before his Elf guards left. He inspected his new home. It was spacious, being made for Elves, with the bed to big and tall for real comfort. It was scrupulously clean, with no good honest straight lines anywhere. It was all curvy and Elf-ish.

There was, however, water, and that was enough to make Nori forgive the Elvish design. He forced himself to sip the water slowly. He hoped Ori wouldn't drink his too fast and make himself sick.

_step one of brilliant escape: memorize the guard's rounds_

Nori sipped his water, and watched through the bars of his cell, and smiled.

 

Nori spent two days memorizing the guard's rounds, and two days trying everything he knew on his cell's lock. At first he thought he was having problems because he could only just barely reach the keyhole. After two days he knew he had the key right. He could _feel_ that the adjustable key was perfect in the lock, but it did nothing. His picks were also useless.

It was the lock.

_Mahal-cursed Elvish lock!_   
_it's as treacherous as Elvish rope_   
_what's the trick of it?_   
_is it that it can only be unlocked by the person who locked it, or that it can only be unlocked using the key that locked it?_   
_a lock that can only be unlocked by one person seems cumbersome_   
_it must be the key_   
_it's not like you could have just walked out of here anyway, you have to gather a lot more information_   
_let's do this the old way_   
_revised step one of brilliant escape: find someone naïve enough to seduce_

 

“Are you ready to talk to King Thranduil?”

He was asked the same question at every meal. Elves, with their long lives, were nothing if not patient. Nori looked up to evaluate the Elf bringing him food.

_young but not a child, nervous, probably shy, from the way he's shifting his feet_   
_a little short for an Elf, hair a little curly, practically frizzy by Elf standards, so doesn't think himself too pretty_   
_a cook or servant of some sort, not a guard, so he has no training in dealing with prisoners_   
_...perfect_

Nori walked over to the door of his cell to accept the food.

_step one of seducing: accidentally brush fingers when taking bowl_   
_step two: eye contact_   
_step three: blush... think of something sexy, quickly_   
_...the way Dwalin breathes when he's first inside you, panting and trembling as he tries so hard to stay still, and you're so stretched and full..._   
_mmm, perfect_   
_step four: look off to the left_   
_step five: wrap your hand around a bar, slide it down slightly, not enough to register consciously_   
_step six: eye contact again, tiny shy half-smile_   
_step seven: look off to the right and down_   
_step eight: look up at him shyly out of the corner of your eye while blushing again_   
_...Dwalin's big fingers bruising into your skin..._   
_good, the Elf is catching on, he's blushing too_   
_step nine: reel him in_

“N...no, but...”

_step slightly closer, eager but not too eager_   
_look up at him, pleading eyes but not too pleading_

“maybe I could talk with you?”

_not your most graceful effort, but he's falling for it_

“It's... it's so lonely in here all alone, and...”

_look away again, look slightly sad but not heartbroken_   
_splay fingers on bar slightly, sliding them upward but not enough to register consciously_   
_speak quietly so he has to lean in to hear_

“you looked kind.”

The young Elf bit his bottom lip. There were almost tears in his eyes. He reached out to gently touch Nori's fingers with his cool fingertips.

“I can't stay now but I'll... I'll be back. I won't leave you here alone," the Elf promised.

_give him a sweet smile of hope... aww, look at him blush_

The Elf turned away to leave, flustered.

“Wait... what's your name?” Nori begged.

_look a little panicked that he's leaving... not too much, just a little_

The Elf blushed a little harder, two pale pink spots high on his cheeks. “Nethanu,” he said quietly.

_breathe it like it's the most beautiful thing you've ever heard_

“Nethanu,” Nori breathed. “Thank you.”

The young Elf fidgeted, swallowed hard, and fled.

Nori leaned against the bars to eat his food. His smile was the shark smile, the 'I win' smile.

_far too easy_

 

A week later, Nori sat against the bars of his door with Nethanu close on the other side. The young Elf had his back to Nori. Nori finger-combed the Elf's hair with one hand while they held hands with the other hand.

Nethanu was extremely talkative once he got over his initial shyness. It was easy to steer the conversation to things Nori needed to know. Once he got going, Nethanu was happy to keep going with minimal inputs of 'oh, really?' and 'tell me more'.

Nori carefully prodded the conversation toward a topic Nethanu was not comfortable with. The Elf, paused, remembering Nori was a prisoner.

_lift his hand and kiss his knuckles lightly, while letting your other hand 'slip' and brush the sensitive tip of his ear_   
_oooh, look at him blush!_   
_that's distracted him, ask the question again_   
_...aw, what a good little Elf, tell everything..._

Nethanu couldn't stay much longer, a guard was due past and he didn't want to get caught. Nori kissed the Elf's knuckles one last time,

“I know you have to go, but...” Nori held out one of the dark hairs the Elf had shed while Nori was combing his hair. “I thought I could give you a present. Do Elves read knot language?”

Nethanu nodded vigorously. Nori gave him a sweet shy smile and quickly knotted the hair into a tiny simple flower. The only meaning was in the stem, which said 'sweetness'. He presented it to the Elf, blushing with the help of a fantasy of being fucked brutally into the floor by Dwalin.

The young Elf accepted it, blushing so hard he was practically red – no small feat for an Elf. He tucked it into his pocket and reached through the bars to touch Nori's cheek gently before he left.

Nori lay on the floor and chuckled, but not until he was very sure Nethanu was long gone. He made sure to compose himself and appear bored when the guard passed, but then went back to chuckling.

“Nori, it's Bilbo,” the Hobbit's voice said, from a Hobbit-length above the floor.

Nori looked up, startled, but of course he couldn't see anything. “How are Dori and Ori?” he asked, standing. His eyes still searched futilely for Bilbo, "Have you found everyone? Do you have a way out for us yet?”

Bilbo sighed, “Dori and Ori are fine, they'll be happy to hear I've found you. I've found everyone except Bofur and Dwalin, and I don't have a way out yet.”

Nori nodded. Having an invisible Hobbit on the other side of the bars would make the brilliant escape all the easier.

“What was...” there were cloth-rustling noises, “with the Elf?” Bilbo asked.

“Gathering information,” Nori explained.

“It looked a  _lot_  like flirting,” Bilbo sounded unconvinced.

“It was,” no point in denying it. Bilbo made a sound that did not sound impressed.

_who cares what the Hobbit thinks of your information gathering techniques_   
_...but what if he tells Dwalin?_   
_he won't understand at all, and neither would your brothers_

“Bilbo...” Nori said, gently, “I think we can help each other get everyone out of here, but don't...”

_you can't say Dwalin, don't say Dwalin_

“don't tell the others I'm flirting with an Elf.” Nori wished he could see the Hobbit's face to gauge his reaction.

The Hobbit sighed, “Ok,” he sounded unconvinced. Nori knew he would take his agreement seriously, though. Bilbo was an honest little thing.

“Good,” Nori grinned. “Now, I need you to look into a couple things for me...”

_with Bilbo helping this might work, it might just work_   
_your finest jailbreak to date_

 

Dwalin paced in his cage.

He had long ago finished breaking his bed frame into small pieces and tossing it into the hallway. It had not amused the guards when his flinging coincided with the times their heads were in range. He had received some colorful threats.

He didn't care. The bed had been ugly and too tall. He much preferred his oversized mattress on the floor. He was sure if any of the guards did try to start something with him he could take them. He had grown bored of spitting at the Elf who brought food when asked if he was ready to talk to Thranduill. He still  did  it, of course, but it was boring.

The Hobbit was lucky he no longer had pieces of bed frame to throw, because Dwalin was startled enough to do so when Bilbo started talking to him out of nothing.

“Bilbo,” Dwalin sighed, relieved. “When do we leave.”

“Oh? I, uh... well, I don't have a way out for us quite yet. And I haven't found Bofur yet.”

Dwalin sighed, sitting on his mattress.

“But I am working on it, Nori has been ...um... 'gathering information' and we're...”

Dwalin looked up sharply, but of course there was nothing to look up at.

_he can't possibly have just said..._

“The thief is still here?” Dwalin asked sharply.

_please say no, if he couldn't break out it can't be done_

“Nori? Yes,” the Hobbit said.

_Nori couldn't break out of here_   
_we're doomed_

“And as I was saying he's been 'gathering information'. I'm looking into stuff too. He thinks we'll be able to get everyone out.”

_if Nori says it can be done..._   
_wait_   
_gathering information?_   
_how?_

“Gathering information?” Dwalin asked. There was a long awkward silence, punctuated by a scuffing noise as though someone were shuffling their feet.

“Oh, you know, just... talking... with an Elf,” Bilbo said uncomfortably.

_...oh_   
_he's fucking an Elf_

Dwalin felt as though someone had punched the air out of his lungs from the inside.

_of course he would, to get out of here_   
_it's not the same for him, a fuck doesn't mean anything to him_   
_...but an Elf?_

The Hobbit was talking, saying something about Balin being happy to hear that he was safe. He managed to nod, somehow. Bilbo said something about coming back another time. Dwalin managed to nod again, and then he was alone. Or fairly sure he was.

He closed his eyes and tried to force out the unwanted image of pale Elf hands running through soft red-brown hair, gripping into lean hips while Nori's voice growled 'harder'.

Dwalin wished there was anything breakable left in his cell.

 

Bilbo came back a few days later, and by that time Dwalin was calmer.

_yes, Nori may be fucking an Elf, but he is a grown Dwarf and I have no claim on him_   
_what he does with himself is his own business_   
_he knows how to escape from prisons far better than I ever will_   
_I can only trust he knows what he is doing_   
_if that is what has to happen..._

The Hobbit had found Bofur, but still had no way to break them all out.

“How is...”

_don't say Nori, don't ask about Nori_

“How is everyone?” Dwalin asked. Bilbo seemed happy enough to stand and talk with him for a moment, to share news. Fili and Kili were sending nonsense messages back and forth, Bofur wanted his flute, Bombur kept asking for more food. Nori was sending Bilbo all over, snooping everywhere. He had started to ask him to steal some of the Elf King's hair, for some reason.

_to leave a knot behind!_   
_he really does think we can escape!_

Dwalin couldn't help laughing a little in relief.

_picture the look on that prissy Elf King's face when he sees a knot of his own hair in an empty cell with a locked door and a folded blanket_

“Bilbo,” Dwalin tried to reach through the bars but couldn't quite get his hand through. The Hobbit's invisible little fingers closed around his.

“Get him the hair?” Dwalin begged.

He didn't let go of Bilbo's hand until the Hobbit agreed.

 

As soon as Nethanu began talking about the celebration of starlight Nori knew it was their chance. The young Elf went on and on about all the foods that would be there, and all the drink. Everyone - even everyone who wasn't anyone like Nethanu - would be up all night dancing and drinking and singing.

The young Elf clearly felt it was a safe topic. Nori was able to get every single detail out of him as they sat side by side between the bars, fingers intertwined as Nethanu talked.

If he hadn't had Bilbo on the other side of the bars, Nori probably would have tried to convince the young Elf to steal the keys and come to make love to him.

He was glad he didn't have to.

When it was time for the young Elf to leave, Nori sent him off with a final caress to his dark hair that just happened to accidentally brush almost the full length of the Elf's ear. Blushing furiously, Nethanu pressed a kiss to his fingertips and brushed them on Nori's cheek before rushing away.

_it wouldn't be hard to convince him to steal the keys and come to you_   
_given a couple months you could probably convince him you're soulmates and get him to break the whole Company out_

“What you're doing to him is not right,” Bilbo's voice said.

“You heard what he was saying about this party?” Nori said, ignoring the condemnation in the Hobbit's voice. “That's our chance. You have to steal the keys that night. Your idea about the barrels was a good one. There will be a lot of empties going out that night, it's perfect.”

“He's just so young, and you're using him,” Bilbo sighed. “Isn't there any other way you could have...”

“No,” Nori broke him off firmly, giving a sharp look to the place the Hobbit's voice was coming from. “Anyone older would either be too smart to fall for it, or expect a lot more of me. I'll not suck Elf dick if I can avoid it.”

Bilbo made a small strangled noise. Nori would bet good money the Hobbit was blushing redder than Nethanu.

“Try to figure out how to steal the keys that night, with everyone drunk it shouldn't be too hard. And make sure everyone in the Company folds their blanket that night.” Nori turned away.

“...folds their blankets?” Bilbo sounded confused.

“Like a good houseguest,” Nori said, throwing the shark smile in the general direction of the Hobbit. “Fold the blanket and lock the door on your way out. You've found where they put our weapons and things, right?”

“Yes,” Bilbo said. “And I just came by because I'm telling everyone, they have Thorin.”

_Thorin's alive!_

“Is he,” Nori leaned against his bed with relief.

“Locked up the same as everyone, just a little further away. He thought that everyone had died. He was very glad to hear that you were all safe.”

“Well done, Bilbo!” Nori meant it. He revised his opinion of how devoted Nethanu was, if he'd managed to keep that secret. Unless he didn't know it either, which was possible.

“I have to go, I haven't told everyone yet.” Bilbo's voice moved away slightly.

“Remember, fold the blankets,” Nori reminded. Bilbo agreed quietly and then was gone, probably.

Nori lay down on his bed and took out the knotted piece he was working on. Bilbo had been very grumpy when he handed Nori a tangle of white-blond hair pulled from the Elf King's hairbrush. He complained that Dwalin had held him hostage until he agreed to get it.

With so much material to work with, and so much time, Nori was making possibly the most beautiful knot he'd ever made. It was like the ghost of a leaf made of lace, with the only meaning down the spine.

_derisive laughter_   
_what will the Elf do with it, do you think?_   
_it's too beautiful to be destroyed, and too disrespectful to be kept_

 

Nori wasn't the first to be released on the night of the party. Bofur Fili and Kili were already out, and still-invisible Bilbo wanted to rush away immediately. Nori wouldn't be hurried, not on his very best escape to date. Nothing good ever came of rushing a good escape.

He placed the leaf on top of his folded blanket, so that it was displayed to best advantage. He walked out his cell door and, while hiding it with his body and sleeves, relocked his cell with his adjustable key.

“Unlock that,” he said to Bilbo. The Hobbit huffed impatiently and tried, seeming surprised when it didn't work. Nori chuckled, and gestured everyone on, taking up the rear of the group.

No one saw him tie a tiny flower of knotted dark hair and a single thread of a young Elf's robe to the bars. It was simple, with two meanings

_apologies deception_   
_Nethanu will be the first to check on you in the morning, he always is_   
_he will find this_

Nori didn't allow himself to feel any remorse for the pain the young Elf would feel.

_good life lesson for him, always ask yourself what people want from you_

Ori tackled him when he was released from his cell. He was practically crying as he crushed Nori's ribs before they cracked heads together.

“I knew you would do it. I just knew,” Ori whispered, eyes shining.

“It's Bilbo that's done the hard work. I just advised,” Nori deferred. It would be for the best to minimize his contribution. No one needed to know about Nethanu.

Bilbo quickly re-locked the cell and Nori was pleased to spot that Ori's blanket was neatly folded at the foot of his bed.

Even Dwalin's blanket was folded, when they released him. Nori was surprised that the giant didn't seem to have any furniture, though, just a mattress on the floor.

“Your bed?” he whispered to Dwalin as they rushed onward to the rest of the Company.

“...was ugly. I threw it at the guard's heads,” Dwalin rumbled. Nori chuckled. It would have had to be in very small pieces to fit through the bars.

_he doesn't deal well with being on the other side of the bars_

Dwalin nudged him with an elbow. “You left a knot?” he asked, a gleam in his heavy- browed eyes.

“The most beautiful I've ever made,” Nori confessed in a whisper. “Knotted of the Elf king's own hair, it laughs at him very rudely.”

Dwalin snorted, almost smiling a little behind his beard. They got Balin out of his cell, and he cracked heads with Dwalin before the rapidly growing group continued on.

Nori nudged Dwalin with his shoulder. “Elf locks,” he whispered, “can only be opened by the key that locked them.” He patted himself on the chest, “I locked my cell.”

It took Dwalin a moment to realize the implication, and then he did chuckle. He was definitely smiling as he elbowed Nori, shaking his head.

“I know why you like this,” the giant whispered in a rumble, his eyes shining.

_the excitement, the thrill, the power of laughing in the face of those who would keep you_   
_picturing the confusion when you are so impossibly gone_   
_maybe he does understand_

Nori smiled, and the Company hurried on to their escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to Tumblr's Ladytengwar who helped me name Nethanu, which she tells me "in sindarian translates to young male."  
> Not the most creative name, but has the right feel.
> 
> Some people wanted to know how Thranduil would react to Nori's knot, so I wrote that: http://archiveofourown.org/works/709351/chapters/1310913
> 
> and lots of people wanted to know what happened to Nethanu. GreenKangaroo wrote a possible ending that I really like, and you should read it. http://archiveofourown.org/works/680611/chapters/1289406  
> It also inspired a fanart that is hilariously accurate: http://pandeimos.tumblr.com/post/44235268819/from-greenkangaroos-raindrops-on-roses-chapter-6
> 
> I also wrote two possible endings:  
> a sad one: http://archiveofourown.org/works/709351/chapters/1311246  
> and a happy one: http://archiveofourown.org/works/709351/chapters/1311265  
> (read the happy one. leave the sad one be)


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More smut!

Nori decided he liked Lake Town.

The Company's method of arrival, floating down the river in barrels, had not been the most dignified, but it was certainly not the _least_ dignified way he'd ever gotten out of jail.

_that would be the time you buried yourself in a garbage wagon and were hauled out_   
_couldn't get the stench out of your hair for a week_

During the day, crowds sang outside the house the Master of Lake Town had gifted them, cheering when anyone showed themselves. Thorin and his heirs were the most popular and chose to spend more time walking through the town than most of the Dwarves, but Nori had his own following. One young lady had cheered so hard she actually fainted when he started hand-walking on the balcony railing.

The Company were given all the supplies they could want or need, free of charge.

_bit disappointing, actually_   
_it's no fun to take things if they would just give them anyway_

Bombur kept himself busy cooking batches of _cram_ to take with them to the Mountain, and other travel foods, along with three solid meals a day to fatten everybody back up. Nori had been planning on stealing a piece of _cram_ to replace his emergency piece but the shy cook gifted him one already wrapped tight in a piece of oilcloth. Bombur blushed hard when Nori bumped foreheads with him in thanks.

Unlike most of the rest of the Company, Nori did not choose to replace most of his clothes, just his outer jacket. He didn't have the time or will to make the modifications his clothes needed to more than a single piece.

During the day Lake Town was nice, with cheering fans and friendly merchants giving things away. During the night it was better. The kinds of people who wanted to cheer around a house went to bed. The part of town their house was in was a quiet one, but there were other parts of town that were quiet during the day and rowdy at night, where people were less likely to get excited about the presence of a Dwarf. Nori found his way there.

His brothers, who shared a room with him, made no comment on the fact that he climbed out the window every night and slept in every morning. They knew his habits well enough.

_Ori doesn't even remember a time before you came and went from windows at all hours_

It was nice to have a quiet pint in a dark corner of a loud tavern where no one knew him. If he paid for his drink in coins that came from the purses of people who jostled him, no one was any the wiser.

Lake Town was very climbable. It was built mostly of wood, and mostly over the water. The accepted method of getting around the town was to either take the walkways or a boat, but Nori found that, with a running start, he could clear the gap between most buildings.

It felt good, after having been locked up so long, to run and climb again.

Along the waterline, where Lake Town met the shore, Nori found warehouses holding trade goods from near and far. It felt good, after having been so completely unsuccessful with Elvish locks, to have absolutely no problem with any of the locks on the warehouses.

_but speaking of feeling good..._

Nori had spent the previous month imagining getting fucked by Dwalin in a number of increasingly imaginative scenarios and desperately wanted the real thing. He knew he ought to just flash some guard sign when no one else was looking and get that taken care of, but he hesitated. Mirkwood had changed things. Allowing himself to be held as he breathed the giant's scent for comfort when they were dying had moved things to dangerous territory. He and Dwalin no longer avoided one another, though Nori was not sure what they were could be considered friends. He didn't know _what_ they were now, but he knew it was too close to...

_too close to getting yourself killed_   
_or tied down, which is the same thing_

Nori could have taken a human lover from his Lake Town admirers, but he found he could not summon even a tiny spark of interest. Humans had never been his favorite anyway. He preferred a good Dwarf any day, with hard muscles and a deep well of passion to draw on.

There was also the fact that Dwalin had been watching him. This, in itself, was not unusual. Dwalin had watched him since the beginning of the quest. What was strange was that the giant's expression was no longer one of disapproval all the time. Sometimes Dwalin almost looked happy. Sometimes, and it was brief, he looked like he was in pain, and then angry, and then he would avoid Nori for a while.

_why?_

Nori tried to make himself decide not to fuck Dwalin, but his eyes kept running over those tattoos and muscles. His skin kept remembering those hands, and he _ached_ to be filled big and deep and rough.

Three days was all he lasted, long enough to be well rested and the bruises of the barrel ride to fade away. He broke when Dwalin put that enormous hand on his shoulder and pushed him to the side, heading toward the kitchen for something.

It took all his willpower not to jump Dwalin right there in the hallway. As it was he took a half-step after the warrior before he caught himself.

_grab him and pull him into you against the wall and get your skin against his and breathe in his scent and those big hands all over you_   
_wait_   
_not here_

Instead, Nori prepared carefully. He waited for evening, when the crowds were leaving, so they could get away undetected. He dressed himself lightly for the fall weather. He removed almost all his hidden weapons and the key out of his hair. He wrapped his weapons and the pieces of his key in his discarded clothes and tied them up into a bundle, wrapping it in string with complex knots so he would be able to know if anyone tampered with it.

Nori brushed his hair out into a long wild mane, but his beard he kept braided up.

He went out to the balcony where several members of the Company, including Ori and Dwalin, were sitting and smoking and enjoying the quiet of the evening before the cold of night set in. He saw Dwalin freeze out of the corner of his eye when he walked out onto the balcony with his hair down. He could feel the big Dwarf's eyes on him as he sat by Ori, placing the bundle in his brother's arms.

“Kill anyone who tries to touch this,” he said. Ori nodded, expertly flicking his knife out of his sleeve with a shy smile.

Nori felt a spike of pride, he kissed his brother on the forehead. “You practiced!” he accused fondly.

“I got bored, locked up,” Ori shrugged, and Nori chuckled.

_the same reason you're so good at knots_   
_it was boring to be locked up before you got so good at escaping_

Nori looked over at Dwalin. The giant was staring at him, nostrils flaring, hands clenched.

_oh Mahal yes, he looks like he's already ready to go_

He made sure no one else was in view of his hand and flashed some guard sign. “Question, you, me.”

Dwalin swallowed hard, and signed back quickly, “Agreed.” Nori was not sure he had seen the word signed so emphatically in his life.

“Wait” He signed back with a smile. Dwalin snuffed out his pipe and shoved it into his pocket while Nori turned back to Ori. The last thing he needed was to have Ori panic and make Dori worry about him again. He leaned in close to whisper.

“You know Dwalin won't hurt me, right? We've made our peace.”

Ori bit his lip, nodding but unsure. Nori smiled reassuringly, braiding his hair into a simple long braid down his back.

“I'm going to have a little fun, but I don't want you to worry about me.”

Ori nodded again, and Nori gave him a wink as he stood to saunter over to Dwalin. He leaned down close to whisper in the warrior's ear.

“If you can catch me, you can fuck me.”

Dwalin's breath caught at his words. Nori danced back, Dwalin's pipe twirling between his fingers for all to see.

“Catch me!” he laughed, tucking the pipe into his sleeve and taking a running start to be up the wall and onto the roof before Dwalin's outraged roar caught up to him. He was on the roof of the next house by the time Dwalin crashed out the front door.

_don't run too fast, he's not as familiar with the town as you are_   
_lead him to the warehouses_

It was a good chase. Dwalin's unfamiliarity with the town didn't hamper him too much. He nearly headed Nori off, nearly caught him. His fingers ghosted down the back of Nori's tunic and caught nothing. Nori laughed aloud as he ran.

Nori made it to the warehouse he had chosen and dashed up the steps with Dwalin close on his heels. He would have made it inside if someone hadn't relocked the door, and in that lost second of trying the handle Dwalin had grabbed him and slammed him hard against the door. He ground against Nori's whole body with a deep growl that carried clear through him.

_yesyesyes_   
_he'll fuck you so hard and so good and so wild_

Nori wrapped his arms around Dwalin, pulling him closer. He rubbing his face in Dwalin's furs, wrapping a leg around him as he thrust back at the big Dwarf.

“Hair?” Dwalin groaned, a knuckle-duster clad hand hovering beside his braid.

“please” Nori agreed, moving his head toward the hand. His braid was quickly wrapped around Dwalin's hand, his head pulled roughly to the side.

“Ah! Yes, you have no idea,” he gasped as Dwalin's teeth grazed the exposed side of his neck. The door creaked behind him from the force of Dwalin's thrusts against him, “No idea how much I need this. Locked up, couldn't stop thinking about how you fuck. Your hands and your... mmm... your teeth. So good...”

_his teeth and his breath and his muscles_   
_oh yes_

Nori slid one hand up under the back of Dwalin's tunic to grip his hard muscles. His other hand worked between them to untie the laces of the larger Dwarf's pants.

“Need a good fuck so bad. Mahal please, give me a good fuck.” he begged. Dwalin whimpered, a sound almost of pain as Nori's hand slid around his cock, wrapping around it tight.

“Nn... not here,” Dwalin groaned, pushing away.

“No, please!” Nori tried to pull him back in, but Dwalin pushed away hard.

“Too exposed,” Dwalin gasped. He looked around desperately as he tucked himself back into his pants.

_fuck no no no!_   
_...but he's right, of course, damn him!_   
_anyone could see you here_   
_get inside the warehouse like you planned_

“Let me unlock this,” Nori patted the door. Dwalin looked at him for a moment expectantly, then understanding crossed his face. He turned around, looking away.

Nori pulled a few picks out of the lining of his boot and unlocked the door He put them back away before he grabbed Dwalin by the leather straps across his chest and dragged him through the door into the warehouse. He kicked it shut behind them and backed himself up against a bale of linen, pulling Dwalin into him. The two lamps kept lit in the warehouse at all times gave just enough light to see. Nori rubbed the length of his body up Dwalin. The warrior groaned, big arms wrapping around Nori with barely restrained crushing strength.

_please with the fucking now_   
_get his hands on your skin and sweat and fire and pounding into you so hard_

“Clothes,” Nori ordered. Dwalin released him to take a half step back, pulling roughly at his buckles as he fought to remove all his clothes.

Nori was glad he was wearing minimal clothes and weapons, he was naked at the same time as Dwalin.

The big Dwarf stared at him for a moment, breathing hard. That strange look almost of pain Nori had seen on him the past few days crossed his face. Dwalin shook it off and took the half-step back into him, pressing a thigh between Nori's legs. One hand wrapped around Nori's braid to pull his head back sharply while Dwalin's other hand ran roughly over his throat, shoulders, chest, ribs, stomach, thighs. It reversed to come up the back of his body, gripping hard into his muscles. Dwalin's face was just above Nori's own, their noses almost touching. Their breaths mingled as the warrior growled down at him.

_oh_   
_oh yes_   
_oh yes please_

Nori moaned, arching to rub his cock against the thigh between his legs. One hand went to cup Dwalin's while his other hand kneaded the hard muscles of the big Dwarf's tattooed chest, digging his nails in slightly.

“Gonna fuck you so hard,” Dwalin's rough voice rumbled clear into Nori's stomach as the warrior's face drew closer to his own. Their noses were now side by side and his lips now just a hair's breadth above Nori's. "Fuck you 'til you scream.”

“Yes...” Nori whimpered, hand clenching on Dwalin's achingly hard erection. The giant moaned almost into his mouth.

_taste his lips and fight with his tongue and..._   
_no no no!_   
_just a fuck, no kissing_

Dwalin looked up. His grip eased on Nori's hair so his head was not forced back so far. “Salve,” he growled sharply, as though it had personally offended him by not being already in his hand.

_Mahal curse it you left it in your tunic like a hormone-addled adolescent fool_

Nori struggled away from Dwalin and bent down, fishing the tin quickly out of the left sleeve of his discarded tunic. Enormous hands closed on his hips, lifting them. The giant made a strangled sound in his throat, rubbing his erection lightly between Nori's arse cheeks while his thumbs drew circles on the globes.

“Like this,” Dwalin groaned. It was only half a question.

_his hands bruising into you hips, slamming into you from behind while you struggle to stand..._

“Yesss” Nori moaned, arching back into the contact. He popped the lid off the tin of salve with a well-practiced flick of his thumb, dipping out a healthy scoop and handing it to Dwalin. He took two steps away to lean his elbow against an enormous bale of linen, back facing Dwalin as he spread his legs and worked his fingers inside, opening himself.

“Oh...” Dwalin growled, half a moan. “Oooh.” A glance over his shoulder revealed that Dwalin was watching Nori's fingers, eyes wide as he stroked himself with a tattooed fist.

_he's so ready, it's going to be so wild and so hard and so good_   
_yes yes yes_   
_don't rush yourself, don't rush, you have to be really ready for him_

“Use more salve,” Nori requested. Dwalin cursed as he scooped up a huge gob of it and slathered it on his erection. His eyes burned as he watched Nori's fingers turning and stretching.

_ready_   
_ready enough_   
_now he'll fuck you, finally, finally, please yes pleasepleaseplease_

“Now, slow,” Nori instructed. He removed his fingers and leaned with both elbows against the bale of linen. Dwalin pressed the head of his erection against Nori's entrance, breath rasping hoarsely out of his throat as Nori pressed back against him. One big hand rested on Nori's back, rubbing in circles as Nori worked the warrior's length into his body.

“So... so...” Dwalin's voice was hoarse, “So beautiful, you're... it's impossible.” Nori dropped his head against his arms, braced against the bale. He didn't have to look to know that the giant was watching the juncture of their bodies, truly seeing himself enter another for the first time.

_so big, so big, so good_   
_oh yes_   
_breathe... breathe..._

Finally Dwalin pressed his slow way all the way inside. His hands ran in patterns all over Nori's body as he waited for himself to adjust. Dwalin groaned with the need to move.

_so stretched and warm and so much fuller than full and his hands..._

“Now,” Nori said, bracing himself.

Dwalin drew himself almost all the way out slowly. He slid back in just as slowly, moaning softly at the well-greased slickness between them. “Hard?” the warrior asked in a deadly purr, taking a firm grip on Nori's hip with one hand and his braid with the other.

“Hard!” Nori begged, “Hard please I... AH!” Dwalin roared, slamming himself into Nori fast and deep. He pulled back hard on Nori's braid, a small shock of pain to sweeten the pleasure as it forced his body up into an arch. Dwalin pounded into him brutally, a bright flame of pleasure racing through the depths of his body.

“Yes, yes!” Nori gasped, legs shaking as he fought to keep his balance against the onslaught.

His braid was suddenly released and a huge hard arm wrapped around his torso, pulling him tight against Dwalin's broad furred chest. The warrior's relentless pace never slowed as he bit hard on Nori's shoulder, forcing a shout from Nori's throat. The warrior growled low and rough, switching back and forth from shoulder to shoulder, biting just shy of hard enough to break skin. The hand on Nori's hip slid down between his legs. A big fist clenched hard around his cock, pulling him with sharp strokes.

_so close so close so close_

It was like a wall, a deep wave of pleasure building higher and higher until it finally broke over Nori. A voice, his own, screamed as he spent into Dwalin's fist. He was held upright only by Dwalin's arms as his legs left his control. Sharp teeth clenched on the tender muscles on the top of his shoulder beside his neck, the warrior's breath growled rough against him and his beard scraped against Nori's back. The relentless pounding deep into his body never slowed, never stopped.

_Mahal and Yavanna have mercy_   
_it's too much_   
_it's so good_

“Thief!” Dwalin roared, finally. His body bucked as he slammed Nori forward into the linen bale in his completion.

Dwalin braced them there for a moment, breathing hard, before he slid his cock out of Nori. The warrior made it a single step away before his legs betrayed him and he sagged to the warehouse floor. Nori had dropped bonelessly the instant he was released.

_perfect_

Nori's entire body was humming, his shoulders pleasantly achy and tender from the bites that decorated them, and that slight burn that told him he had been well and truly _fucked_. He realized he was giggling as he crawled shakily over the drape himself across Dwalin's chest. The big Dwarf was sprawled on the floor, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.

Nori closed his eyes as Dwalin's arms wrapped around him and he stopped giggling, breathing in the scent of lust and sex and  safe. 

perfect

 

For three days after their escape, Dwalin saw Elf hands on Nori whenever he thought of sex.

_I have no claim_

he reminded himself

_I have no right to him_

He could not help the anger.

_if his body was the price of our escape, was it worth it?_

The answer, of course, could only be told by Nori. The smaller Dwarf did not seem to be affected in any way Dwalin could tell.

It bothered Dwalin, but despite his reservations, when Nori walked out onto the balcony with his hair loose and made him an offer, he did not resist. The chase was nostalgic, exhilarating, to catch the thief and find himself with a moaning armful of lean, hungry Dwarf.

Nori's words, though, cut him deep.

_if he had to think about me to make it through the experience, then he was not enjoying what he had_   
_if he is begging me to give him something good, then what he was having was not_

Dwalin saw Elf hands on Nori, and fucked him until he couldn't see them anymore. Fucked him as though he could fuck their memory right out of Nori, until the smaller Dwarf had no words and could only scream and thrash in pleasure.

Nori crawled to him, lay across him to be held as they both recovered themselves. The lean Dwarf was soft and boneless in relaxation.

“Good,” Nori finally purred. He rubbed his cheek against Dwalin's chest hair like an overgrown cat.

“Better than an Elf?” Dwalin asked.

“mmm, so much better.” Nori assured him. Dwalin's stomach turned at this final confirmation.

“Was it worth the price of our escape, fucking an Elf for information?” he asked, quietly. Nori tensed, pushing out of his arms to look down on him. Dwalin let him go.

“What did Bilbo tell you?” Nori asked. His voice was very calm in the way that a venomous snake is calm in the instant before it strikes.

“Nothing,” Dwalin said, miserably. “He said you were 'talking'. He was embarrassed. He never gave me any specifics.”

Nori turned away, “And of course you assumed _instantly_ that I would...” he started sharply, but then the tension left his bite-marked shoulders. He slumped, defeated. “Of course you would. I tried to fuck _you_ for freedom once. I can't even say I wouldn't fuck and Elf because I have.” Nori turned back, “I fucked an Elf _once,_ some fifty years ago. I was not impressed, and neither was he.”

Nori grabbed his clothes and began putting them on, his braid all in disarray from Dwalin pulling on it.

“So you didn't...”

“I flirted, with the poor kid who brought food," Nori interrupted. "Held his hand and petted his hair and he would talk for hours about anything in the whole damn palace. We were never on the same side of the bars.”

“Flirted?” Dwalin hadn't known that Nori knew how to flirt beyond stealing things or asking for a fuck.

Nori wound his fingers through Dwalin's, expression turning coy and shy. He couldn't keep eye contact, a small smile on his lips as he sweetly kissed Dwalin's knuckles in turn. He rolled his eyes and dropped Dwalin's hand.

“Like that,” he said. “Thought about fucking you whenever I had to blush.”

“Oh.” Dwalin said.

_I've ruined everything_   
_I've accused him of something not even he would do, and..._

Nori was fully dressed now, he patted Dwalin on the chest. “I know why you thought it of me.” he said, quietly, a rueful smile twisting his lips. “I would have done it, too, if I had to. There were so many other options before it came to that.”

Nori stood, stretched, and nudged Dwalin's clothes toward him with his boot.

“I'll see you at the house,” he said. “This was a nice fuck. Any time you want...”

“My pipe!” Dwalin remembered, reaching up toward Nori.

Nori danced back. “Should have thought of that before you let me go!” he laughed, and disappeared through the door into the night.

_wait... no..._   
_THIEF!_

 

Nori was sprawled out on the balcony having a smoke with a few other members of the Company when Dwalin arrived back at the house. He stomped up to the balcony, glaring down at Nori.

Nori sucked up a generous pull from Dwalin's pipe, blowing it out as he smiled.

“Join me for a smoke?” he asked.

Nori let Dwalin snatch the pipe out of his hand. The warrior shoved the stem into his own mouth and sat down, glaring at the Company members who were laughing and tossing bet money back and forth. Nori took his own pipe out and packed it, lighting it as he chuckled.

_serves him right for assuming I was fucking an Elf_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is smutty artwork of the smutty smut in this chapter!  
> http://thorinsmut.tumblr.com/post/44108073124/illputanarrowinyoureye-dwalin-nori-axe-to-my


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> still in Lake Town  
> these chapters are turning out longer than I had expected, which means more chapters until the end of the story  
> so yay for that?

It took Dori a few days to realize that Nori was flirting with Dwalin. Dori could see that Nori's idea of flirting had not changed since he was in his thirties and thought putting a live worm down someone's shirt was a good way to get their attention.

The worm incident had gotten Nori knocked out cold by the Dwarf he admired

_which didn't dissuade him at all, he was twice as infatuated with her afterward_   
_telling, that_

Dori was sure that was exactly the direction his misguided attentions were going to lead with Dwalin. The incident with the pipe had Dori sure that Nori was going to end up with knuckle-dusters in his face, but instead the big warrior had simply taken the pipe back and glared.

It became almost a daily thing for Nori to steal or try to steal something off of Dwalin. The Company grew used to Nori tearing through the house, dodging through rooms and jumping over furniture with Dwalin on his heels until the big warrior caught Nori and threw him against a wall and took back whatever had been taken.

Dwalin was not gentle with Nori, Dori was sure that walls were going to be broken. It didn't seem to phase Nori, who just grinned up at the big Dwarf. Dwalin's fists would clench and his face go red, but he somehow managed to restrain himself and Nori remained unhurt.

_considering what he thinks good sex is, Nori probably likes it_   
_no no no don't think about them having sex against that tree_   
_that's disgusting_   
_ugh, think about something else_

Nori's theft game caught on quickly. Fili and Kili started snatching things from each other, and eventually other Company members, and running through the house. Their chases tended to end in wrestling matches instead of dented walls.

Things got completely out of hand the day that Kili ran off with Ori's quill. Ori shouted as he chased after the young prince, then Nori tackled Kili to get it back, and Fili tackled Nori to protect Kili, and Ori attacked Fili. Then Bofur was in on it for some reason and that brought Bombur out of the kitchen to join in. Gloin never needed an excuse for a little play-fighting. Several pieces of furniture were broken before Dwalin waded in, roaring and throwing Dwarves left and right to try to break it up like any good guardsman in a brawl. Fili, Kili, Ori, Bombur and Bofur decided that they could take Dwalin on, but Gloin and Nori thought that Dwalin needed protecting. Then Oin and Balin joined in because Dwalin was outnumbered.

Dori picked up the discarded quill that had started it all and kept out of the way to watch. A cheering Bifur and a terrified-looking Bilbo joined him. He really wished that the Company could do their roughhousing outside, but with the crowds that wasn't really possible.

Several more pieces of furniture were broken and alliances made and broken in the blink of an eye as the Company brawled. In it all Dori noticed that Nori and Dwalin were never on different sides. They laughed as they fought shoulder-to-shoulder, and for the first time Dori wondered if Nori's aggravating idea of flirtation maybe wouldn't end in injuries.

Nori didn't confine his teasing to any one Dwarf, but Dori noticed that he always caught Dwalin's eye before he got up to any mischief. Dwalin would go red and glower as Nori made someone look foolish. Dori was certain he was glowering, but then one time he was sitting next to the larger Dwarf and he could have sworn it seemed like Dwalin was suppressing laughter as he turned red and glared.

Dori didn't realize his brother and Dwalin were having sex until he caught Nori replacing torn laces on his pants late one night.

“Nori...” he chided. Nori smirked in answer.

“We're marching to our deaths, Dori,” he grinned brightly. “I'm just going out as well-fucked as possible.”

and if that wasn't Nori in a sentence.

Dori didn't realize that Dwalin's feelings might have changed about Nori until he caught Dwalin looking at his brother when the big Dwarf didn't think anyone was looking at him. Dwalin had an expression that, on a less fierce Dwarf, might have looked tender. His eyes were soft as they traveled over Nori's features. He had almost a smile on his lips.

And then Dori was very afraid for Nori.

_I liked his chances better when he was teasing someone who hated him than I do if he is leading on someone he doesn't know loves him_   
_Dwalin will kill him if he breaks his heart, and Nori will break his heart, because he's Nori_   
_he doesn't believe in love, just sex_   
_what can I do? I tried to warn them both off before and it did nothing!_

Dori found that, deep down, he shared a little of Nori's fatalism. He wondered if it was even worth it to try to mitigate his brother's damage if they were about to march into the mouth of a Dragon.

Young though he had been, Dori could still remember fire in the sky.

 

Nori perched himself up on the top of the roof, to have a late evening smoke. Dwalin wasn't sure what made him decide to climb onto the high exposed place to have a smoke beside the smaller Dwarf.

Nori looked toward the Mountain, hunched in his coat. Dwalin settled beside him, trying not to think too much about how precarious and high up he was. He lit his pipe and they both smoked for a while, wordless.

Dwalin wasn't sure what to say, or even if there _was_ anything was say.

He liked the way Nori's jokes drew the Company together. He had nearly died trying to suppress the laughter when Nori began trying to see how many times he could move Fili's plate during dinner before the prince noticed. Nori had only grown more bold as more of the Company caught on to what was happening, until nearly the whole table was watching as Nori shifted the deep-in-conversation Fili's plate out from under his fork again and again.

Eventually, Nori actually traded Fili's plate with Kili's, who looked like he was going to choke on keeping the laughter in. When Fili still didn't notice even though the food on the plate was completely different, Kili had broken into laughter followed by the rest of those who had seen what was happening. Fili's demands to know what was so funny had only made it funnier. Through it all Nori had kept completely straight-faced, nodding his agreement with the prince as he demanded in on the joke.

Dwalin could also admit that he enjoyed Nori's stealing-things-and-chasing-around-the-house game. The limited area actually gave Dwalin a chance, though Nori never made it easy. The first time he'd caught Nori it had been a hard chase, and when he had finally slammed him against a wall in the classic guardsman style he'd reached for his axe. He'd had his hand on it before he saw the thin white scar on the smaller Dwarf's neck and froze, dropping his hand.

_blood on an axe blade, what was I about to do?_   
_I want him, and I caught him, and the first thing I do is go for an axe?_

But then Nori had given him that cocky grin that was so _Nori_ , had arched up against him after checking that none of the Company were in sight. Dwalin had almost forgotten himself, had wanted to have him right there. Nori had raised one braided eyebrow, grin growing larger.

“Tonight,” Dwalin had growled. Nori's exhalation of breath was almost a whimper as he nodded briefly.

Nori never took him to the same part of the town twice, and they went out every few days in the weeks they were in Lake Town. It was never the same twice, and Nori only let him touch his hair about half the time, but it was always the same. It was always Dwalin fucking Nori as hard and long as he could. It was beautiful and astonishing and so good, but Dwalin did  enjoy other things. He had spent his entire life enjoying them. He wondered what it would be like to have them with Nori, but he didn't know how to broach the subject. Nori so obviously loved what Dwalin could give him.

Still, Dwalin wondered what it might be like to spend an entire night, in an actual bed, with all that red-brown hair spilling across the pillows as he slowly enjoyed Nori every way he knew how. But how could he expect a Dwarf who would not even kiss him, not even when their faces rested together with their breath panting hot on one another's lips, to consent to intimacy of that sort?

_in the end, we aren't lovers_   
_we fuck, beautifully and viciously and often_   
_but we are not lovers_

Dwalin sat and smoked on the roof and  did not  think about how high off the ground he was. He did not say anything as he and Nori looked at the Mountain together in the growing darkness.

He had wondered, briefly, if he could communicate with Nori with a knot. Nori used the language like it was as natural as breathing. Dwalin had found, on the inside of his new cloak that had been commissioned of the Lake Town tailor, a line of knots, hidden along the seam of the collar. He knew they had not been there when the cloak was made. He had checked the cloaks of the rest of the Company,to find that they all also had knots along the collar. They all looked to be the same, but all knots looked the same to Dwalin.

He'd taken it to Oin, when no one else was around, and had a loud conversation about them.

“Superstitious luck knots,” Oin had called them, sniffing disapprovingly. Dwalin had caught him petting the collar of his cloak fondly, though, where the knots were.

Nori used knots to express so much, so many things that were hard to say, like that he was worried about the entire Company. Dwalin wondered if Nori would understand him if he used a knot to speak to him, but then Dwalin couldn't because he never learned the language. It had been just one more useless thing he had no time for. He preferred to spend his time with weapon arts and tactics and maps and music and hunting and other useful things.

He didn't know what he would have it say, even if he could make a knot.

In the end, Dwalin gave it up because he was, after all, on a Quest. It was a bad time to be distracted by anything. It was for the best that they remained whatever-it-was they were.

Dori had confronted him, but the eldest son of Kori had seemed more sad than anything else. “Nori will never give you a promise,” was all he'd said.

Dwalin had already known that. Nori didn't trust him. He held his secrets tight so that Dwalin never knew where he kept his knives or his lockpicks. He had boundaries that he guarded just as jealously, like not kissing. He might love a good fuck, but Dwalin did not flatter himself that he was anything more than that to Nori, or would ever be.

Every time he caught sight of a thin white scar on Nori's neck, he knew that he could never expect to be trusted.

He had to be content with the fact that Nori now consented to be held after they fucked. He would curl up into him and let Dwalin cradle him and pet his hair if hair touching was being allowed.

Dwalin finished his pipe and put it away, trying to put away the thoughts he'd been brooding over with it. It seemed that Nori had finished his a while earlier. He was still hunched up in his coat.

The Mountain was almost invisible in the growing dark now.

“What are you going to do afterward?” Dwalin asked, nodding at the Mountain.

“I give it an even split, fifty/fifty, pile of ash or pile of shit. Depends if the Dragon's hungry,” Nori said blandly.

“Why did you come, if you don't think it can be done?” Dwalin asked.

“Ori,” Nori said, hunching down further in his coat. “Thought I could convince him to leg it... can't even convince myself to, anymore.”

Dwalin resisted the urge to pull Nori into a hug. He settled on patting him awkwardly on the shoulder.

“If we did reclaim it, what would you do?” he asked.

“Back to the East,” Nori said, after a little thought. “I do well there. Then, to the other Dwarven kingdoms, see if there's anything worth stealing in any of them. Come back to Erebor now and then to visit my brothers.”

“With a fourteenth of the gold of Erebor and a full pardon, you would still be a thief?”

“What am I going to do with all that gold?” Nori asked sharply. “Once you kit yourself out there's nothing more you need. Anything you can't carry with you is dead weight, anything you can't leave behind is a shackle.” There was desperation in his voice, like he was trying to convince himself. “Doesn't matter anyway. Pile of ash, pile of shit,” he said, standing, stretching. “Come on. I need a drink.” He started to climb down the side of the building.

Dwalin accidentally looked down, suddenly remembering how very high up he was. “I think we still have some ale in the pantry?” He said, unsure, but starting to climb down after Nori.

“Not that,” Nori said. “I want a drink in a tavern. There's one over near the warehouses I'm fond of.”

_fond of?_   
_when has he had time to get fond of a tavern?_

 

Nori hadn't anticipated asking Dwalin to come drinking with him. He'd been sitting on the roof trying to convince himself to steal a pony and some food and run as far and fast away from the Mountain as he could. He was considering various methods of kidnapping Ori and Dori, trying to figure out if any of them would actually work for long enough to get them to safety, even as he knew he wouldn't do either thing. He'd known it since he realized that he'd never even considered getting just himself or just his family out of the Elf king's dungeons. He'd known it as he stitched luck knots into the cloaks of every single member of the Company in the night when everyone else was sleeping. He'd started with just his brothers, but then Fili and Kili who he'd trained, and then everyone else.

Anything you can't leave behind is a shackle. He'd done well with only two, his brothers, had pulled the chains as tight as they would go but was always pulled back.

_family of thirteen around you_   
_thirteen shackles without even a lock you can pick_   
_not to mention Dwalin, who is..._   
_no don't_   
_don't even think that_

Dwalin had asked him what he would do if they got the Mountain back.

_make sure your brothers are safe and run away_   
_run away as fast and as far as you can run_

Nori took the walkways, forgoing his usual path over the rooftops. Dwalin walked beside him in silence. They got to the more active parts of Lake Town soon enough, and Nori quietly took a few coins here and there in the bustle to pay for their drinks.

Nori ducked down the alley, followed by Dwalin, and made his way in the back door of a seedy little tavern that made Dwalin glower hard. More the type of place he was used to arresting people from than patronizing, most likely. Nori passed a few coins and got them a seat in a corner so they could both keep their backs to the wall, then a few more coins got him a pint of skunky ale with a shot of distilled liquor added. He got Dwalin some mead that, if his expression was anything to go on, had gone to vinegar.

The tavern was loud, and the seats and table were too tall. People were fighting and drinking and singing songs tunelessly and drunkenly flirting and gambling. No one paid the two dwarves in the corner much mind, and Nori relaxed a little.

“You paid in coin,” Dwalin said, quietly.

Nori gestured around, “They don't expect a single copper penny from the Returning King. It's coin or dry in here.”

_they've seen enough to know better_   
_these are the sensible people_   
_they don't expect anything from anyone_

Dwalin didn't ask where he'd gotten the coin.

Nori drank his ale slowly. Dwalin finished his mead and Nori gave him coin for another drink.

“Is the ale good?” Dwalin asked.

“No,” Nori said.

“Is the wine any good?” he asked.

“No,” Nori said.

Dwalin got himself an ale. He tasted it and made a face. “Didn't think anything could be worse than the mead,” he commented.

Nori lounged out in his chair, relaxing a little more. He considered joining a group gambling. Some of them seemed drunk enough that they wouldn't notice being fleeced, but he already had enough coin for the night.

He considered getting completely sauced. With Dwalin to watch his back it would be safe enough, but he didn't relish the idea of being seen in such a state by the big Dwarf. While he didn't tend to be a talker when drunk, he didn't want to accidentally say or do anything he would regret. He decided the temporary relief from having to think about his brothers and the Mountain and Dwalin wouldn't be worth the indignity and the hangover.

He finished his ale and didn't get another.

He watched people fight and make up.

He watched people steal and gamble, gain money in one hand and lose it from the other.

He watched a wench try to make eyes at Dwalin. Dwalin didn't seem to notice.

Nori kicked him gently under the table, cocked an eyebrow at the wench.

Dwalin looked, then looked back, confused.

“She's making a pass at you.” Nori whispered. By then the wench had grown tired of the game and had picked up another target who was more receptive.

Dwalin watched the financial transaction take place and the wench lead her new target out, giving Dwalin one last flirtatious look over her shoulder as she left.

Dwalin was an interesting shade of red. Nori ordered them both an ale with a shot in it.

“Come on,” he elbowed the still-red Dwalin. “Like you've never made it with a tavern wench...” Dwalin sputtered on his ale and shook his head. “What, never?” Nori asked. Dwalin nodded, drinking his terrible ale faster than he ought. Nori wondered if he realized there was a hefty shot in it.

“Should we get you one?” Nori teased, spying a few more in the tavern. Several of them were pleasingly round. “If you're too shy to go alone we could get one who'd take us both at once.”

“No.” Dwalin glared at him, and by his tone Nori knew to drop it. He grinned and sipped his ale.

“I never... with a woman... or a human,” Dwalin said, though Nori hadn't pressed him for the information.

_oh, he's one who only goes for the male_   
_...always struck me as oddly limiting_

“You're not missing too much,” Nori confided. “Only good thing I ever got from a tavern wench was my salve recipe. Best thing I ever stole.”

“To the salve,” Dwalin said, lifting his mug. Nori was happy to tap mugs with him for that, he drank maybe a little faster than he should have.

“But, you have?” Dwalin pressed.

“Tried it all!” Nori admitted. “Lads and lasses, men and matrons. Dwarves of all types, but just the one Elf.”

“Hobbits?” Dwalin asked.

“Look like children,” he shook his head. Dwalin tapped mugs with him for that, and they drank.

“What's your favorite?” Dwalin asked.

“Dwarf,” Nori answered, definitively. “A big Dwarf with big muscles who fucks like an animal.” Dwalin flexed slightly, and Nori kicked him under the table.

“And you?” he asked.

Dwalin took a big swallow of his ale, looking away. “Four long term but didn't work out. A few others in passing. All Dwarf, all male.” He closed his mouth in a way that said he wasn't going to say any more.

_forges of Mahal, he's practically a virgin_   
_no wonder he never found anyone who'd let him fuck them_

“To Dwarves!” Nori raised his mug, and Dwalin tapped mugs with him. They finished their drinks and Nori ordered another round.

 

While he let them get a little more drunk than he had expected to, Nori stopped buying before they got too drunk. There were too many interested looks being thrown the direction of the drinking Dwarves for him to feel comfortable letting go completely.

_only have to get shanked once to know not to drink too hard where you're not safe_

They left the tavern via the back door with their arms around each other's shoulders. Apparently someone who was unfamiliar with Dwarven stamina saw this, and having seen how much they drank, decided it meant they could be safely mugged. He came at Dwalin from behind and the side in the dark alley.

It was an utterly pathetic attempt. It was hardly worth Nori's time to duck around Dwalin and send the knife flying. He knocked the man to his knees, holding blades to his throat and back.

“That was rude,” Nori said in his friendliest voice. “Now, I'm nice, I understand it was a mistake. My friend with the knuckle-dusters here might not be so understanding.”

Dwalin had the presence of mind to flex his hands intimidatingly and glower. Or maybe he was just being himself. He tended to glower a lot. The attacker whimpered, eyes wide.

“If you say you're very very sorry, maybe he won't smash your face in. Maybe you can live to tell all your friends to never ever jump a Dwarf,” Nori coaxed gently.

“I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!” The man babbled.

Nori laughed, letting him go with a condescending pat to the head. “Good boy,” he praised. He swaggered over to Dwalin, slinging their arms around one another again to walk away. Nori rested his head against Dwalin's shoulder while still staying alert. Even under the smell of bad ale, Dwalin smelled like _safe_.

A few streets away, when they were away from the heart of the active part of Lake Town, Dwalin spoke. “I didn't see him,” he said quietly.

“Don't worry,” Nori grinned, “I've got your back, no one touches my...”

_don't fucking say 'my Dwarf '_   
_you're not even supposed to think that, he's not yours and he never will be_   
_you don't need anyone and you never will!_

“My friends,” Nori finished lamely.

Dwalin was quiet for another few streets. There were almost no people out now. “We're friends, then?” he asked.

“Drinking bad ale, embarrassing each other about sex, watching each other's backs...” Nori ticked things off on his fingers. “Staggering home together at an indecent hour. Sounds like friends.”

“You weren't embarrassed,” Dwalin contended.

“Nothing's perfect,” Nori shrugged.

Dwalin gave him a squeeze. “Friends,” he said.

“If you'd told me in Ered Luin... “ Nori laughed, shaking his head.

“Me too.” Dwalin chuckled.

 

When they got back to the house, Dwalin watched Nori scramble easily up the side of the house and into his bedroom window with practiced ease despite his slight drunkenness.

_he's done that before, which explains how he has a favorite tavern... and why he sleeps in every day_

Dwalin made his way through the front door and up to the room he shared with Balin.

_friends_   
_it's something_   
_I almost thought he was going to say something else_   
_wishful thinking_   
_just as well that he didn't, neither of us needs any distractions_   
_just a few days until we leave for the Mountain_


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> finally leaving Lake Town

The night before the Company left Lake Town was a quiet one. All their belongings and supplies were packed and ready to be put in the boats in the morning. After a supper where the younger Company members were excited and the elders tense everyone went to bed early.

Dwalin could not sleep, and rather than keep Balin up with his tossing and turning he made his way back downstairs to sit on the thick fur rug in front of the fire.

If it had not been so quiet with the fire dying down, he would not have heard the kitchen window open and close and the tiny scuffing noises of someone moving around in that room. A candle was lit, flickering light reflecting out of the kitchen.

_probably Nori, but just in case..._

Dwalin moved as quietly as he could to the kitchen, where Nori was spreading small packets of things on the counters. The lean Dwarf looked up at him, unsurprised, but continued with whatever he was doing. He continued pulling things out of his pockets, then stoked up the kitchen stove and put two small pots on it.

“There are doors, you know," Dwalin said quietly.

“Keeping in practice,” Nori shrugged. He began measuring out his ingredients on a scale Dwalin recognized as belonging in Oin's medical kit.

“That's Oin's,” he said.

“Not stealing, just borrowing,” Nori said. He tipped his measured ingredients into a pot - a small lump of beeswax and some oils, it looked like. He looked tense, as he worked, his shoulders tight and the normally fluid motions of his hands jerky.

_almost, but not quite, like when he gets twitchy after danger_   
_I wonder if he'll want to fuck that tension away..._

“Thought you'd be asleep with the others,” Nori commented. He was weighing a small amount of water now, pouring it into the second pot with a few powders and whisking vigorously before putting it on the back of the stove.

Dwalin shrugged, leaning against the doorframe, “I couldn't stop thinking. So many hopes and worries. So many memories...”

_dragon fire and the screaming and the awful scent of burning flesh_

Nori nodded in understanding, swirling the melting beeswax and oil in the pot. “Make yourself useful," he said, pulling the tin of salve out of his left sleeve and tossing it to Dwalin. “Wash the tin out for me?”

Dwalin nodded. He took the tin to the sink, dipping hot water out of the pot that Bombur kept on the back of the stove at all times for dish washing.

“Don't lose the coin at the bottom,” Nori instructed. Dwalin fished around in the near-empty tin, pulling out a tiny gold coin of unfamiliar make.

“Where's this from? Why is it in the salve?” Dwalin asked, holding the coin up to the light. It was pretty, stamped with curly unfamiliar writing.

“It's from further East than I've ever been,” Nori said. “The recipe says to put a coin in the bottom of the tin, so you remember to fill it back up before anyone finds it.”

Dwalin put the coin on the counter between them and carefully washed the tin. When he was done, Nori put the tin and coin in a third pot on the stove, moving it to a hotter spot so that it simmered.

“You're making a fresh batch of salve even though you think we're going to die?” Dwalin asked curiously.

Nori nodded, his smile humorless. “If it happens we don't die I'll want a celebration fuck. If we do, it didn't hurt anything to have it.” He leaned back against the stove, idly stirring the water-powder mixture, which was turning into a thick gel. “Did you know that some peoples believe you only get to take with you what's on your person when you die? Be inconvenient to spend the afterlife without any salve on hand.” He rubbed a pinch of the gel between his fingers and nodded. He moved the pot off the stove and swirled the melting beeswax pot.

“You think the dead can fuck?” Dwalin asked. He'd never really thought of it.

Nori shrugged, “If they can't, I don't want any part of it.” He took the salve tin and coin out of the pot and set them on the counter to dry. Dwalin washed the pot and put it away.

Nori finally seemed to think the beeswax mixture was ready, he took it off the stove and carefully tested the temperatures of both the gel and the oil mixtures.

“a little cooler...” he said to himself. He cleaned Oin's scale and took it out of the kitchen. Dwalin was sure it was going back into Oin's medical kit in the exact placement it had come from.

They stood in silence in the kitchen for a while, together. Nori occasionally stirred the pots and tested their temperatures, until he finally decided they were right. He had Dwalin steady the gel pot while he whisked it furiously and slowly slowly poured the oil/beeswax mixture into it. At some cue Dwalin couldn't see, Nori stopped pouring in more oil and scooped the pot out of Dwalin's hands. He quickly poured the thin salve into the tin and dropped the coin in. He stepped back, hands up.

“Now it can't be touched until it's cool and set or it'll go grainy.”

Dwalin winced at that thought, and Nori nodded in agreement. Dwalin picked up the pots and whisks and washed them. He handed them off to Nori, who put them away. They stood for a moment when they were done, close but not touching. Nori's shoulders looked so tense, a line of worry between his brows.

_hold him_   
_undress him and rub slow circles in his back and shoulders until he's completely relaxed while we share slow kisses and fall asleep curled up together with his hair all loose around me_

Dwalin half-reached for Nori, but stopped himself, dropping his arms.

_he wouldn't..._

Nori looked up at Dwalin, eyes searching, before he sighed and stepped into him. He rested his head against Dwalin's shoulder, eyes closed as he leaned against him. One hand rested on his chest, digging into his furs while the other reached around his back. Dwalin wrapped his arms around the smaller Dwarf, pulling him close. He kneaded the muscles of Nori's shoulders gently with his fingertips, and Nori moaned slightly, leaning into it.

“Hair?” Dwalin asked in a murmur. Nori shook his head, but then paused.

“The end,” he conceded. Dwalin nodded and curled his fingers through the soft ends of the red-brown braid.

_he only ever lets me touch his hair when he's taken it down himself_   
_he never lets me touch it when it's braided up in its peaks_

Dwalin rubbed his cheek gently against the top of Nori's hair. He alternated between massaging the smaller Dwarf's shoulders and back.

“I'm afraid,” Nori said. Dwalin almost didn't hear him whispering against his shoulder.

“So am I,” he answered. Nori buried his face deeper in Dwalin's shoulder.

_he's no soldier_   
_he's spent his entire life running away_   
_he doesn't know how to run toward danger_

“Come,” Dwalin said, stepping away from Nori but keeping an arm around him. He pinched out the candle and led the smaller Dwarf into the living room. The Company's belongings were all packed up and stacked around on freshly-repaired furniture. He sat back down on the thick fur rug in front of the fire, pulling an unresisting Nori with him.

_how much will he allow?_   
_no more than Mirkwood..._

Dwalin lay on his back. Nori did not need any prompting to lay with his head on Dwalin's shoulder, one arm and leg across him. Dwalin held him close, wrapped his fingers in the end of Nori's braid.

“There won't be space or time, on the road, for anything,” Nori said quietly.

“mmm...” Dwalin agreed.

“I've enjoyed... this,” Nori said, making a small gesture that seemed to encompass everything.

_whatever this is, it has been good_   
_I might want more, but this has been good_

“So have I,” Dwalin agreed. He dared to bring his hand up to Nori's face, rub the ball of his thumb across Nori's cheek and whisper-light along the edges of those lips he wanted to taste. He stopped before Nori drew back from the intimacy.

They lay quietly, with the fire slowly dying down.

“Should go to bed,” Nori murmured sleepily.

“No,” Dwalin murmured. His eyes had already closed. He pulled his arm tighter around Nori.

_I just want to hold him forever_   
_it's so nice to just hold him_

“Just a little longer,” Nori conceded, relaxing against him.

“Mmm,” Dwalin agreed.

 

Nori woke up with his back cold and his front warm, and his nose full of the scent of Dwalin. He had an arm and a leg draped across the giant, who was gently snoring, arms around him.

It was horribly tempting to shift his uncomfortable lower arm and go back to sleep.

_no, you really can't_   
_the air feels like it's almost morning and you shouldn't have let yourself fall asleep beside him_   
_it's dangerous, so dangerous to let yourself love..._   
_NO!_   
_not that word, don't even think it_   
_loyalty is a poison but that is shackles, guardsman, prison, and executioner rolled into one_   
_loyalty is how thieves die, but that is worse_   
_how did you let it happen?_   
_he's just so... so strong and so safe and..._

Nori tried not to disturb Dwalin, but the warrior woke as soon as he started to move.

“Bed,” Nori whispered. Dwalin nodded, letting him go.

They both crept up the stairs and into their respective rooms to sleep the last few hours of the night.

_it doesn't matter_   
_it doesn't matter because we're all going to die_

 

The trip to the Mountain was cold. Nothing grew on the slopes that had once held forests, and nothing blocked the cold fall winds as they swept over the Company in the evenings. Families grouped together to sleep. Fili and Kili started the trend by combining their bedrolls on the first night, but the rest soon followed. Bifur Bofur and Bombur folded the Hobbit into their family to keep him warm by the simple expedient of waiting for him to set up his bed roll and surrounding it with their own. Nori and Dori slept cuddled tight around Ori. Oin and Gloin set their beds together without saying a word.

Dwalin resisted for a few nights, he was nearly warm enough to be comfortable on his own. If sometimes he accidentally caught Nori's eye while they were both setting up their bedrolls and wished they were setting them together, he would never admit it aloud.

Balin eventually got tired of waiting for him and patted the place beside his bedroll.

“Come on, brother, I'm cold,” he chided, and Dwalin stopped fighting it. It would be good to be warm. As he set his bedroll flush beside his brother's, he looked over the camp and realized that Thorin was the only one with no one to share heat with.

_any one of the Company would gladly share warmth with him, but he will never ask_   
_he's too proud_   
_...just like me_   
_even when we were young, just he and I with Dis and Frerin, even then he was too proud_

Dwalin smiled as he remembered how they had dealt with each other's pride in those days, when they were all four shivering in the thin blankets that were all they could afford.

“Thorin,” he said, gesturing him over with a turn of his chin.“Balin is cold.”

Thorin's eyebrows raised, but he smiled at the memory. He gathered up his blankets and brought them over to the other side of Balin.

_that's always how it had to be_   
_usually we said it was Dis who was cold because she was youngest, though she hated it, but there was no other way to get us all together so that at least those in the middle could sleep a few hours_

None of them fought against sleeping together for warmth again.

 

When they reached the western slopes of the Mountain, they set up a more permanent camp while they searched for the secret entrance on the map. The more sure-footed members of the Company were sent to scout for it, which meant that Nori was often with Fili or Kili while Bilbo was with the other prince, wandering the treacherous slopes in search for a door that might not even be there.

Bilbo and Fili found it, or what was probably it. There was a thin crumbling path leading up to an alcove just large enough to hold the entire Company. Everyone but Bombur came up, and Bofur because he didn't want to leave his brother alone. They took care of the ponies and guarded most of the Company's supplies.

The members of the Company took turns trying to get the door open. Balin and Oin tried various words and incantations, Dwalin and Gloin took turns pounding on it with Dwalin's war hammer.

Nori spent some time with a piece of straw at the entrance of the alcove. He watched the shadows and tried to figure where the last light of Durin's day would touch. Then he spent hours and hours running his fingertips slowly across the door, searching for the keyhole. He had taken some of the pieces of his adjustable key out of his hair and assembled it into as close an approximation of Thorin's key as he could. He kept it hidden up his sleeve and pictured how surprised the Company would be if he found the keyhole and opened the door without the help of Thorin's key.

Pleasing though it was, the image was not enough to keep his hands warm on it's own. He had to take breaks frequently when the growing cold of fall began to rob his fingers of sensitivity.

In the end he might as well not have bothered. The Company hung back and watched the door as the sun set on Durin's day. It was Bilbo who spotted the keyhole, springing up to put his finger on it in a place Nori could have sworn he had explored. Thorin jumped up to use his key, shoving it all the way into the keyhole.

_not a turning-type key, you might not have been able to open the door anyway_

The door swung open silently, releasing a puff of air that smelled like nothing Nori had ever smelled before. It was like fire and metal and sulfur and ash and something like the dung of the giant striped cats he sometimes saw kept as dangerous pets in the East.

He saw the older members of the Company draw back, eyes gone wild and terrified.

It smelled of Dragon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to peruse some excellent artwork of this chapter:  
> http://mianewarcher.tumblr.com/post/44242243571/chapter-19-axe-to-my-throat-by-thorinsmut


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the Mountain

The Company huddled inside the Mountain, feeling the heat of the dragon's fire even through the door they had closed behind themselves at the last moment. They had only barely gotten Bombur and Bofur up from their camp in time, and most of their supplies and all their ponies were now lost.

It was the second time they sent Bilbo into the Mountain that roused the Dragon.

_WHY did we send him in a second time?_   
_Thorin thought the Dragon might be gone_   
_Hobbit says it's not_   
_would have made the most sense to just go home_   
_Dragon still guarding treasure, try again in another hundred years or so..._   
_no, we had to send the Hobbit in again and now the Dragon is raining flaming death on everything_

Bofur realized what was about to happen as they huddled. The miner was the most attuned to rock, and looked up with terror in his eyes as the stone creaked and popped around them under the Dragon's assault.

“Collapse! Run!” he screamed, grabbing Bilbo in one hand and Bifur in the other. He dragged them along the dark passage as he fled, the rest of the Company on his heels.

Nori kept a hand on Ori as he ran. When the floor bucked under their feet, knocking them down, he curled his body around his brother.

_protect Ori, keep Ori safe that's all that matters_

He more than half-expected to be crushed to death, but when the rock settled he was unhurt. He could feel warm arms braced around him instead of sharp rock. A torch was lying on the floor nearby, offering feeble light.

“Ori?” Nori asked, pushing away from his little brother

“ 'm alright,” Ori said, shakily.

Nori turned to the two Dwarves who bracketed him and Ori, Dori and Dwalin. He touched them with trembling hands.

“Are you hurt?”

Dwalin gave a heave with his back, sending small rocks tumbling away. “Just bruised,” he rumbled.

“The same,” Dori said. Nori could hear the strain and fear even under his polite tone.

Nori grabbed them both by their clothes, pulling them in close as a small whimper escaped his throat. He pulled Ori in closer, clung to all three as he shook. He felt their hands close around him and each other, holding tight.

_they're safe, they're safe for now_   
_your family is safe_   
_trapped in a mountain occupied by a Dragon, but safe for now_

Someone started a roll-call, and it seemed that they had all been lucky. There were no bad injuries. Bofur made his way carefully back up the tunnel and confirmed that the cave-in had completely blocked the door. They would not be getting out the way they had come.

They had found a few more torches, and sat looking at one another. The barely-concealed panic the older members of the Company had been working through since they first smelled the Dragon was possibly the most terrifying part.

_if seasoned warriors like Thorin and Balin and Dwalin are panicked, what chance do we have?_

Bilbo, after taking a torch and having a look around, confirmed that the Dragon's fire and smoke could reach where the Company was. He would know, he was singed on the backs of his heels from his latest encounter with the Dragon.

Balin suggested that they make their way, as quickly as they could, through the Mountain to the old guardhouse. Those who were familiar with the Mountain agreed.

_at least we'll be out of the Mountain again_   
_but if the Dragon comes back when you're still inside, you'll be an easy mouthful_   
_...you can only hope he chokes on your knives_

After taking an inventory of what supplies they had left – a few blankets and Bombur had managed to keep a hold of the _cram_  through everything – they left to walk through the center of the Mountain.

_maybe when you get to the other side Dori and Ori will be ready to run_

...but he didn't really let himself hope it.

 

Protecting Nori and Ori had been instinctive, in the cave-in. Dwalin had not expected for Nori to pull him in afterward, to be held along with the smaller Dwarf's brothers.

_the same way he held them after the stone giants_   
_so long ago_

They had to go through the treasure chamber to get to the other side of the Mountain. Dwalin stuck close to Nori. He expected the thief to have a hard time controlling himself in the face of so much gold and treasure.

Instead, Nori was possibly the least interested. After the first breathless moment he glanced at Thorin and his face had set into a hard expression. He put his hands behind his back and marched through with his eyes glittering coldly, hurrying the others along when they would have stopped to look at things.

He was the only one Dwalin didn't see pick even a single thing up.

_why?_   
_what's holding him back?_

They hurried as quickly as they could through the Mountain, far far too quickly for the first time seeing his home in so many years. The city of Erebor was dark and silent, full of the stench of Dragon, but everywhere he looked there were old memories. He could tell that Balin and Oin and Thorin were having a similar experience.

Dori wept, pointing it out to his brothers, when they passed the street he used to live on as they rushed past. It was one that had been completely demolished by the Dragon.

They were all relieved when they made it through the other side and were out of the Dragon's scent.

 

The Guardhouse was cold, especially as so few blankets had survived the loss of the ponies and the cave-in. It was far warmer in the Mountain, but no one was willing to risk going back inside to wait for the Dragon.

The Company slept all together for warmth, to stretch the blankets across all of them. Nori woke up sandwiched between Ori and Dwalin for the third time in as many mornings. The warrior's arm was across Nori where they had somehow ended up spooning, and his big hand was resting on Ori's chest.

Nori controlled an irrational surge of jealousy and protectiveness. Dwalin wasn't the only one who had a hand on Ori, Dori and Nori were both also holding the little scribe. From what he could see, it looked like the rest of the Company were holding one another in their sleep in some way or another. Anything to try and stay warm.

_he just moved his hand in his sleep, that's all_   
_he's not making a move on Ori_

Nori considered trying to wiggle his way out, but he was warm and there was a cold bite to the air, and Ori looked incredibly peaceful. Nori didn't want to wake him.

_let him have what comfort he can before he wakes up to another day of rationed cram and waiting for a Dragon to show back up and fry you all_

Nori wasn't sure why no one else seemed to be thinking about leaving, going home or East or _anywhere_ but the Mountain. There was still a Dragon, which if the stories were to be believed had roasted half an army of Dwarves on his way into Erebor. Nori didn't know what Thorin expected to do against it with just a handful of Dwarves and a Hobbit.

Dwalin woke up and took his hand off of Ori's chest. He brushed fingertips over Nori's cheek before he stood, so lightly that Nori could almost pretend it hadn't happened.

_don't make this worse_   
_you already..._   
_no_   
_just, don't make this worse, please_

Nori held onto Ori tighter, closed his eyes, and waited for his brother to wake up.

 

Later that day the Company was out in the weak sunshine, trying to warm up, arguing about where the Dragon was. Some of the more optimistic claimed that since he'd been gone for three days now, something must have happened to him. Nori was of the opinion that, having slept for sixty years, the Dragon was hungry and was hunting for a few days.

He was surprised when an old Raven landed and started talking to them, but those of the Company who had lived in Erebor were not.

The Dragon was dead.

Lake-town was destroyed.

Elves were on their way, and not to offer complements.

To Nori's thinking, this was the time to grab whatever they could carry and leg it.

No one else seemed to agree.

There was an air of celebration among the other Company members as they all trooped back into the Mountain, after sending a message with a Raven to Dain Ironfoot. With the Dragon gone, there was no question that Dain would bring soldiers to hold the Mountain.

Nori watched as the rest of the Company fell into the treasure chamber. They cheered and laughed as they decked themselves and each other out in gold and mithril and jewels.

Nori saw the look in Thorin's eyes and touched nothing.

_it's time to run_   
_it's so past time to run_   
_why is no one running?_

 

Dwalin watched Ori run up to Nori with a handful of matching gold and sapphire aglets, beaming as he offered to braid them into his brother's hair. The little scribe had a magpie's mix of jewels in his own hair.

Nori bumped foreheads with his brother fondly, “I'll stick with silver,” he said. “Getting shanked for your hair pretties is a fool's way to die.”

Ori's face fell, and he took the aglets back where he had gotten them. He didn't see the look that Nori threw Thorin.

_what is he afraid of?_   
_he's making it sound like it's because he's still going to be a thief afterward, like he told me on the roof_   
_I don't think that's the real reason, or not all of the reason_

Dwalin looked down at his hands. He had been gathering up jewels, emeralds. He'd been thinking idly that they would bring out the green in Nori's hazel eyes.

He dropped them.

When everyone had grown tired of playing in the gold, Thorin led the Company exploring. They needed to look for safe places to sleep and what supplies might have survived the long years of the Dragon's occupation.

The first time they reached a locked door, Thorin turned to Nori. “Can you open this?” he asked.

“Yes,” Nori said mildly, making no move toward the door. Dwalin watched as Thorin's eyebrow raised slowly, waiting. He watched Fili and Kili crowding closer, curious to see a lock get picked.

_he'll never do it with them watching_

“Nothing to see here,” Dwalin used his best guardsman voice, ushering them all back. “Don't expect a master craftsman to divulge trade secrets!” He saw understanding cross the faces of the Company as they all moved out of sight of Nori and the locked door. Nori gave him a small nod of thanks before he turned the corner, the last of the Company to do so.

“Open!” Nori called back almost immediately. Dwalin wasn't surprised. He'd been with Nori when he unlocked enough doors in Lake Town to know how incredibly fast he was. The rest of the Company, though, were experiencing it for the first time. Dwalin felt a small surge of pride at how skilled his...

_no, not mine_   
_much as I want him to be, he is not my anything_

Nori was waiting beside the open door, the dust on the floor clear evidence that the room had been undisturbed for years.

They went in, they explored, they moved on - and the pattern repeated. Nori opened door after door for them. Dwalin didn't want to think about how arduous it would have been to break down each and every one of the solid Dwarven doors if they didn't have Nori to open them. They found armories and forges and kitchens. They even opened the library, which made Ori happy. There was damage, of course, but not as much as they had feared.

The only things Nori took were a blanket, a clean piece of vellum, and some ink that just needed to be rehydrated. He tested all the quills, but they were too old and powdered into dust at a touch.

_what does he need to write?_   
_what is he doing ?_

Once they had found all the supplies they could, and they were few, Thorin set them all to searching for the Arkenstone.

 

As the days wore on and the Arkenstone still wasn't found, the look in Thorin's eyes grew worse. Nori did what he could to keep himself safe. He knew he would be the first Thorin would suspect. He did everything he could to make sure he was above suspicion. He didn't take a single piece of gold thread without weighing it, measuring it, writing it down, and having Thorin initial his piece of vellum for it.

Thorin had been surprised the first time Nori brought him a carefully weighed and measured spool of gold wire and three slightly flawed little rubies that were just as carefully weighed and measured. Nori placed them in front of Thorin, along with the piece of vellum on which he'd recorded them. Thorin had tried to argue that they didn't have a need for such formality, but Nori had insisted.

He would not have anything of Erebor on his person that was not recorded and signed for. It was all he could do to keep himself safe, since he could not run away. He wanted desperately to run away. If he ran he would be assumed guilty.

Nori concealed the wire by braiding it and weaving it through the seams of a few of his knife sheaths. It was completely invisible, but if he needed any spending money he could pull a few inches out and clip it off. He concealed the flawed gems in the seams of his clothes and boots. He didn't take anything that would advertise that he had been to Erebor. He didn't need to make a target of himself that way, if he ever got out of here alive.

Nori was not surprised when Thorin began threatening the Company about the Arkenstone, half-accusing them of having found and kept it. He spoke to the entire Company, but his eyes were on Nori, and Nori was not surprised.

_not long now_   
_not long until the gold madness takes over entirely and he starts killing us_   
_your only hope is to find the stone, give it to him, and run_   
_...or, better, put the stone someplace he can find it and run_   
_if it gets any worse he'll start to assume that you've been hiding it from him this whole time and kill you for giving it to him_   
_he should be planning strategy of how to keep his cursed Mountain and keep us all alive through this siege, not obsessing over some damn rock_

Dwalin came and sat by him one evening as Nori was working wire into a knife sheath.

_do you think he'll still stand by Thorin after he starts killing us?_

Dwalin didn't say anything as Nori worked. The silence grew louder and louder between them.

“Have you ever been on a heist that went bad?” Nori asked, speaking quickly and quietly. He didn't wait to hear the obvious negative answer. “Once, back when I was young and still joined groups to work with other Dwarves, we hit up a noble's house and took everything. Every damn thing, piles of gold and jewels. We were hiding up in a cave, waiting for the heat to die down when the gold madness caught him, the leader. It started in his eyes, the way he would look at it, the way he started to look jealously at us. Then he started to accuse us of stealing bits of it, of turning to the other side, of betraying the group for our own gain. We just thought he was stir-crazy, we didn't know. We didn't know what was happening. Then, one night, he started killing.”

Nori reached into the back of his tunic and pulled the knife out from beside his shoulder blade, handing it to Dwalin. It was a short wide blade with a rounded point. “He gutted three of us with this knife. Three of his Company bleeding out on the cave floor. It's only luck that I woke up before he came at me. That I got him first.”

Dwalin looked at the knife, turning it in his hands, and looked at Nori curiously. Nori took the knife and tucked it back by his shoulder blade.

“He'll come at me first,” Nori whispered. He took the vellum out of his sleeve and tossed it down between them. “I haven't taken anything that isn't on that list, but he'll come at me first. He looks at me when he's accusing us of taking it.”

Dwalin looked over the list and handed it back.

“Thorin would never,” he started. Nori laughed.

“They never would until they do.”

_he doesn't understand_   
_once the gold madness sets in, they'll kill even those they love like family_   
_he may have stepped forward to protect Ori once, and he may have once trusted me, but he's not the same Dwarf now_   
_the gold has him_

They sat in silence again for a while. Nori worked the gold wire through the sheath and Dwalin watched.

“Why would I take it? Why would anyone take it?” Nori asked, knowing he shouldn't let the silence draw words out of him. “No one in the Company would dare. We might have signed on to this quest but we're not suicidal!”

Dwalin reached an arm around his shoulders, pulling Nori gently toward him.

_you shouldn't_   
_you really shouldn't_   
_you'll only make it worse if you let him_

Nori leaned against Dwalin. The big Dwarf held him and nothing more. Nori kept working the gold through the sheath.

“I wondered why you never relaxed like the rest of us,” Dwalin said, quietly.

“Now you know,” Nori sighed.

“I don't think he would, but I'll sleep beside you if it would help,” Dwalin offered in that deep rumble that carried all the way through Nori's chest.

_everything he does makes it worse_   
_you shouldn't let him, and you shouldn't let yourself, but if it keeps you alive..._

Nori nodded.

 

No one in the Company said anything when Dwalin moved his bedroll over beside Nori's. The Company lay down to sleep after another day of hopeless searching, after yet another sparse dinner of tasteless _cram_. The torches were put out, and they were in darkness.

Nori could hear Dwalin breathing beside him, less than an arm-span away. He rolled over to his side, facing the giant he knew was facing him in the pitch darkness.

The blankets rustled softly, and fingertips gently brushed Nori's face. They traced his nose, his cheekbones, his braided eyebrows; ran softly over the curves of his lips.

_this is so, so..._   
_too much..._   
_too close to a kiss_   
_dangerous, so dangerous_   
_you should not_

Dwalin made as if to withdraw his hand, but Nori's hand had other ideas. It reached up to catch Dwalin's hand, keep it close.

_this is a bad idea_   
_such a bad idea_

Dwalin stilled as Nori ran his hand up his scarred muscular arm to his shoulder, across to his neck. He hesitated before he moved it, finally, to the big Dwarf's face.

Nori ran his fingertips gently over the scar across Dwalin's eyebrow and nose, smoothed his eyebrows. He went gently over Dwalin's eyelids and bearded cheeks, to his lips, running his thumb along the shape of them. They were surprisingly soft, for a Dwarf who was so hard everywhere else, slightly chapped, and very warm.

Dwalin breathed in sharply, as though he's been holding it, and finally his fingers moved again. He traced slow lines on Nori's face and lips, the curves of his ear, which Nori copied on the larger Dwarf's.

_you shouldn't be doing this_   
_even if it feels so good_   
_even if he is the best Dwarf you've ever met_   
_even if it's dark, and you can't see, and he can't see, it's still real_   
_and it's still too dangerous_   
_you're not supposed to let yourself feel like this_

Nori lay his hand against Dwalin's cheek, and the motion was copied by the big hand on his face.

“Good night,” he whispered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some lovely artwork for this chapter:  
> http://mianewarcher.tumblr.com/post/44266938871/dwalin-nori-chpt-20-axe-to-your-throat-by


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH!  
> CANNON CHARACTER DEATH!  
> BATTLE OF FIVE ARMIES!
> 
> this chapter was painful to write.

When the torches were lit in the morning, Dwalin was still lying beside Nori. They were close but not touching, hands side by side. Dwalin brushed his fingertips gently over the curve of Nori's hand, remembering the soft touch of those nimble fingers in the darkness. Nori's hazel eyes met his, and the smaller Dwarf gave a small nod of thanks before he got up for the day.

_he was so afraid, last night_   
_it was good to be beside him, to be able to offer him some comfort_   
_even though I know Thorin would never do such a thing_

He was proven wrong only hours later.

Dwalin hadn't wanted to think that Thorin was capable of it. Not Thorin, who Dwalin had known his whole life, but Nori had been right. As soon as he saw the Arkenstone in the hands of the Men trying to negotiate for a piece of the treasure, the King's eyes turned murderously toward the thief.

Nori had closed his eyes, face gone dead pale. He shifted his elbows in a way Dwalin recognized meant his knives were close to his hands. He was not going to go without a fight.

_he doesn't seem surprised, not even a little_   
_...did he take it?_

Then Bilbo admitted to the theft, and he was not ready to defend himself. He was standing fearlessly right beside Thorin, and in an instant the little Hobbit was being shaken over the edge of the cliff as Thorin screamed of betrayal.

Bilbo scrabbled at the hands that held him, gasping, eyes wide with terror.

_he didn't believe Thorin was capable of it either_

Dwalin grabbed Bofur before the miner could charge in, likely knocking all three off the edge of the cliff. Fili and Kili edged closer, trying to figure if they could intervene safely.

It was Gandalf's voice booming unnaturally loudly from the bottom of the cliff that saved Bilbo. Thorin shoved the Hobbit away against the rocks instead of over the cliff. He begrudgingly agreed to trade Bilbo's share of the gold for the Arkenstone, and sent the Hobbit away.

_it's over now, it's over_   
_Thorin will have the Arkenstone and come back to his senses_   
_the Elves and Men will have the treasure they wanted and leave us be_   
_Dain and his Dwarves will arrive and we will have the Mountain and we will make it our home again just as we planned_

“There are a few wagons in decent repair,” Balin commented. “We can haul out the first part of the gold easily enough.”

“No,” Thorin spat, eyes furious. “They'll not get a single coin from this betrayal. Get a Raven, I must send a message to Dain.”

As the remaining members of the Company watched Thorin storm back into the Mountain, Nori caught Dwalin's eye.

_if ever a look said 'I told you so' that's it_

“Thirteen,” Nori whispered as Dwalin walked past him.

_he's right_   
_we're back to unlucky thirteen now that the Hobbit has been sent away_   
_and Thorin really has gone mad_

 

Thorin's mood affected everyone. He watched everyone with suspicious eyes as the days dragged on in the dark with a steadily dwindling supply of _cram_  the only food.

Fili and Kili stopped playing and joking. With no Arkenstone to look for anymore, just waiting for Dain to come break the siege, most of the Company took up busy-work, cataloging various treasures. Ori worked in the library, cleaning away all the dust mostly, when he was not writing down the chronicles of the journey. Dwalin and Gloin spent time cleaning and restoring the weapons and armor in the old armory.

Nori disappeared for many hours at a time. Dwalin assumed he was searching for a way out. He could not blame him.

_I've known Thorin since we were young_   
_we've watched each other's backs so many times_   
_we've shared so much, traveling together after the fall of Erebor, fighting together in Azanulbizar, looking after Fili and Kili and Dis together after her husband died_   
_he is as much my brother as my brother is_   
_I cannot leave him_   
_but if I didn't know him so well, and he looked at me the way he looks at Nori, I would run away too_   
_Nori will run away and I'll never see him again_   
_and as much as that hurts I can't blame him_   
_I want him to live_   
_I want know he is out in the world frustrating guardsmen with that cocky smile and leaving beautiful knots behind and fucking viciously and picking locks like it's the easiest thing in the world to do_

Dwalin caught the sons of Kori conspiring. More accurately, he caught Nori begging his brothers to run with him. He explained desperately that with luck and a little hunting to bolster their supplies they could make it to the Iron Hills. Resupplying there, they could make it anywhere. East to Rhun, South to Harad, _anywhere_. He described in a shaking voice the beautiful towns they could choose from to live in and begging them 'please run with me, we can live.'

They would not, they were loyal to Thorin. They believed that Dain and his Dwarves would put everything to right. They left Nori sobbing quietly in the dark corner of the city he had lured them to to talk.

Dwalin let him keep his privacy. It wasn't something he should have heard.

He slept beside Nori every night. Nori had moved his bedroll so he was closer to Thorin than his brothers were.

_he is still trying to protect them_   
_as afraid as he is of Thorin's madness, he would put his body between it and his brothers_

 

Nori knew his brothers wouldn't run, but it didn't stop him from trying.

_it's the reason you're here_   
_it's the reason you came in the first place, to convince them to run when it got bad, and it's gotten so bad, why can't they see that?_   
_Thorin took the Hobbit's gold, what makes them think he won't take theirs, and with a knife in the dark if by no other way?_   
_he'll never be happy until he's the last Dwarf standing in the Mountain on a cold pile of blood-stained gold_

Dwalin had overheard, but he didn't say anything. He could have turned Nori in to Thorin and gotten him killed on the spot for betrayal, but he didn't.

He also could have revealed himself from where he was hiding and tried to help convince Dori and Ori to run, but he didn't do that either.

He could have offered to run with Nori, but Nori didn't expect him to do that.

He did still sleep beside Nori to protect him. Most nights Nori found himself curling into the big warrior's chest, letting Dwalin's arms close around him, letting himself breathe the scent of _safe_  even though it wasn't true.

Nori waited, and he slept as lightly as he could, watching for Thorin to snap. He wasn't the only one in the Company who watched the king with eagle eyes, but no one else seemed to think that it was time to run. He knew they would come to him if they wanted to leave, and he was ready to tell them how to get out, but no one did.

_loyalty is how Dwarves die_   
_you, and your family, and Dwalin, and the entire Company, are about to become yet another piece of proof_

 

Dwalin and Balin found their old home. They walked through it, seeing the dust lying thick on a life disrupted. They found their mother's hair beads and braided them into one another's hair.

Neither had worn ornaments since the Mountain fell. Now that it was reclaimed, tentative as it was, it felt right to wear the jewels of their family again.

 

The day after Dain arrived with his army from the Iron Hills, posturing and bristling at the armies of Elves and Men as they prepared to fight for entrance to the Mountain, the Goblins and Orcs arrived. It happened fast. One hour the Dwarves of the Iron Hills were positioning themselves for battle against the Elves and Men, and the next they were preparing to defend the Mountain together from the approaching hordes.

Azog was with them. That was enough to pull Thorin, however temporarily, out of his gold madness. The Company dressed themselves in armor, took the best of the weapons that had been left in the Mountain, and waited for the best moment to strike.

They sat quietly. Dwalin could see that the waiting was the worst part for the younger Dwarves, the ones who did not know yet that battle was always mostly waiting.

“If I die,” Gloin began quietly, “Give me back to the stone with my locket on my heart. My wife and son will always be with me.” He looked from eye to eye, waiting for them all to acknowledge his request, the ancient ritual.

_how many times have I done this?_   
_how many of us have never done this?_   
_how many of us will live to do it again?_

“If I die,” Dwalin said, “Give me back to the stone with Grasper and Keeper in my hands. I will always be ready for battle.” Everyone met his eye, though Kili's lip was trembling.

“If I die,” Bombur, the shy cook who's voice was so rarely heard ducked as he spoke. “Give me back to the stone with my ladle. The first thing my wife ever made for me...”

Oin requested his medical kit, Bofur his hat and mattock. Bifur signed his, a keepsake to remember his wife, lost to the Orcs who put the axe in his head

“If I die,” Ori's voice trembled, “Give me back to the stone with ink and quill so that I can always write.”

Balin requested his mace, and Dori his knitting needles and a bit of nice thread.

“If I die...” Kili tried. His voice broke off and he turned his face into his brother's chest.

“Bury us together,” Fili said, voice grim and steady. “We will not be separated.”

_oh sweet children_   
_do you really think battles are so kind as not to separate brothers?_

“If I die,” Nori hesitated, but soldiered on. “Don't touch my hair. Give me back to the stone all disheveled, but don't touch my hair.” His eyes were desperate as he made eye contact with one after the other of the Company, waiting their understanding.

_the one thing the most important to him is his hair?_   
_the hair he never lets me touch unless he's taken it down himself_   
_...the one thing most important to him is a secret!_   
_a secret hidden in his hair where no one would think to look_   
_a secret he would keep into the grave_

The eyes of the Company turned to Thorin, the only one yet to speak. He shook his head quietly, as though he wouldn't speak. “My sword,” he finally said, “...and the Arkenstone."

The Company drifted back into silence. Dwalin had already sharpened his axes. Kili was inspecting his arrows for a third time. Ori was writing.

Nori ran a hand down Ori's hair, then Dori's, and then his own braid. He organized the gathered strands of hair and knotted them quickly into three little shapes each made with three strands of hair.

“Some peoples believe that you can find someone in the afterlife if you have a piece of them,” Nori said, quietly, passing two of the shapes to his brothers. He tucked the third into his own tunic.

Dwalin reached into his pocket to touch a dragonfly knotted of the softest red-brown hair.

_I have a way to find him_   
_I want to give him a hair of mine..._

His fingers brushed a spiky knot of his hair, and beneath the prickle of guilt it always brought to him there was relief.

_he has never had a problem stealing hair_   
_he has had more than enough opportunity to get a hair of mine_   
_if he wants one, he has one_

Kili looked at Fili, and then at Nori. He opened his mouth as if he would ask, but then dropped his head down to look closer at his arrows, embarrassed.

Nori moved so silently that Kili jumped when he noticed the thief kneeling in front of the two princes.

“Would it give you comfort?” Nori asked, quietly, and Kili nodded. Nori placed a hand on the back of each prince's head, drawing them both forward so three foreheads rested together, dark, golden, and red-brown. When he released them Nori had a few strands of dark and gold hair. He ran them through his fingers, thinking, before he meticulously knotted them into two little shapes that looked the same to Dwalin.

“This says Fili,” Nori said, handing it to Kili. “and this says Kili,” he handed the other to Fili. The brothers nodded to him and tucked the knots into their clothes.

Nori went back to sit by his family. He pulled out an unfamiliar knife and his sharpening stone, slowly drawing it down the blade more as if it were something to keep his hands occupied than because he needed to sharpen it.

The sounds of battle carried dimly into the Mountain, and the Company waited.

 

“Fuck me if we live,” Nori's whisper was desperate. His finger's dug into Dwalin's arm and the terror was clear in his eyes. They were preparing in the last few moments before they joined the battle, and Nori had drawn him slightly aside, not quite in the view of the rest of the Company.

Dwalin grabbed the smaller Dwarf and pulled him in close. He pressed their foreheads together tight, noses side by side, breath warm on one another's lips. He growled low in his throat and felt a tremor pass through Nori's lean frame in response. He reached up to press a finger against those soft lips, feeling the heat and moisture of Nori's breath.

_I would kiss you_   
_I would love you_   
_I would make love to you_   
_I would hold you forever_   
_and yes, I will fuck you_   
_if that is all you can give me I will take it gladly_

“I promise, thief,” he whispered, releasing him.

Dwalin turned and lifted his war hammer. He saw Nori pick up his long-handled mace, saw the rest of the Company ready their weapons. They ran out together, screaming into the slaughter behind Thorin.

 

Dwalin remembered the battle afterward in flashes and fragments, as he always did - like a mirror shattered. Each piece reflected a separate moment, each crystal clear but disconnected from the others.

 

He remembered fighting side by side with Men and Elves, their reach complementing his strength as they smashed Goblin after Goblin, arrows flying over his head into the ranks of the horde.

 

He remembered crushing the skulls of Wargs as they leapt slavering at his face.

 

He remembered Eagles diving in from above the storm, flinging down the Goblins that would have overrun the Mountain cliffs.

 

He remembered a giant Bear that could only be Beorn wading through the Goblin ranks unfazed by any Goblin weapon.

 

He remembered watching his King fall, pierced through by spears and arrows, and being unable to reach him.

He remembered watching the Princes fall protecting their Mother's brother.

 

Dwalin remembered fighting hard, once again beside Dwarves instead of Men or Elves. He was beside Nori, who had lost or discarded his long-handled mace and now danced with his oddly curved knives in his hands, that long red-brown hair escaping everywhere from its peaks. The smaller Dwarf was covered with Goblin blood. His face was face grim as he darted tirelessly into and away from the Goblins, slaughtering them with ruthless precision.

Dwalin had switched his hammer for Grasper and Keeper, axes lighter for his exhausted arms to wield.

He saw Nori see something, saw those bright hazel eyes darken as his face twisted in anguish. Dwalin turned to see Ori in the path of a spear from an Orc charging in on a Warg.

It was easy to take the two running steps to slam the little scribe out of the way.

Dwalin remembered the spear punching through his left shoulder.

He remembered breaking it off with a hit from his right-hand axe, and burying the same axe in the Orc's face.

He remembered Ori demolishing the Warg's skull with a blow from a war hammer he would not have expected him to have the strength to wield.

_stronger than he looks, like Dori_

He remembered trying to keep fighting one-armed. His left arm was dead to him and covered in bright bright red.

He remembered falling to a knee, his limbs no longer responding, his vision going gray.

He remembered seeing a lean Dwarf dance into the Goblins surrounding him, curved knives carving death in the darkness before Dwalin's eyes, joined by a smaller dwarf with an oversized hammer.

He remembered the wet sticky feeling of the blood-drenched ground as he fell over, as everything turned to blackness.

He thought he remembered a panicked voice screaming his name. “Don't die on me Dwalin! Don't you dare fucking die!”

It sounded like Nori, but it couldn't be.

_it can't really be Nori, he never said my name_   
_...but then again, I never said his_   
_I called him thief, or nothing at all_

 

and then Dwalin remembered nothing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some beautiful artwork for this chapter:  
> http://mianewarcher.tumblr.com/post/44398366698/chapter-21-your-axe-to-me-throat-my-knife-to
> 
> http://asparklethatisblue.tumblr.com/post/80623995055/i-called-him-thief-or-nothing-at-all-your-axe


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family
> 
> WARNING: medical gore in the first section

Nori screamed loudly enough for a healer than Oin could hear him clearly even without his ear trumpet.

Dwalin had a splintered spear through his shoulder, all the way through, and the blood loss was terrible.

If it had been anyone but Dwalin, Oin might not have tried to save someone so badly wounded. Not when there were so many who needed his help. If Nori had not been holding onto Dwalin as though he were the only precious thing in the world – had not looked up at Oin with eyes full of hope and despair, his mouth moving in the shape of 'please', he still might not.

There were _so many_ who needed his help.

Oin told Nori what to do. The younger Dwarf's hands were sure as they obeyed, unflinching. They stemmed the bleeding together so they could move Dwalin to a healer tent.

Oin made Nori wash his hands and arms and set to work beside him. He watched the younger Dwarf's face carefully for signs of nausea or faintness as they worked to remove every last splinter of the spear from Dwalin's mangled shoulder, but Nori showed neither. He worked tirelessly, nimble fingers digging out bloody shards of broken spear. He helped hold Dwalin's skin and muscles in place as Oin stitched them up.

Oin could not have asked for a better assistant.

Nori looked up at Oin, when they were finally done and Dwalin's wound had been dressed. His mouth moved in the shape Oin hardly had to see to know the question. 'will he live?'

“He's strong.” Oin answered, washing his hands before he moved on to the next of the injured who needed his help. Nori's hands grabbed his shoulders, eyes burning.

“Will he live?” He spoke loudly enough that Oin heard him, and Oin knew he owed him the truth. Nori was not soft, he could handle the truth, needed the truth.

“Another Dwarf might not, but he's Dwalin. He's strong. He might live.”

Nori's jaw set as he nodded his thanks and sat himself beside the cot Dwalin occupied. He weaved the fingers of one hand through Dwalin's hand as he smoothed the larger Dwarf's hair with the other. His mouth was moving, but Oin could not quite tell the shapes.

When Oin finally returned to check on Dwalin, many hours later, Nori was still with him. The young Dwarf had the look of one who was ready to wait forever.

Nori seemed surprised when Oin began to tend to his wounds, the surprise of those who had not even realized they were hurt. They were small wounds, but even small injuries from Orc or Goblin weapons left untended would kill from infection.

Nori stayed beside Dwalin. Oin remembered an exquisite knotted dragonfly of red-brown hair, remembered how Dwalin always watched Nori, how Nori and Dwalin played chase in the Lake Town house, how Dwalin slept beside Nori in the Mountain when the younger Dwarf was afraid.

He saw the look on Nori's face when he looked at Dwalin, so pale and laying so still. He knew that, if his cousin lived, he would finally have someone. Someone who was quick and clever and spoke the knot language like speaking, someone who would take care of Dwalin while he recovered his strength.

Dwalin would finally have someone who loved him.

With all that had been lost in the battle, he would need it.

 

Nori pulled a knife on him for the first time in their lives the first time Dori tried to draw him away from Dwalin's bedside.

It had taken Dori a full day to care beyond the fact that his brothers were both _alive_ , in the face of all who had died. It took him a full day after the end of the battle to go looking for his middle brother and realize that he needed help.

Dori tried to be gentle at first, coaxing Nori away. His younger brother had slid through his hands like oil, returning to Dwalin's bedside.

“No,” Nori said. He was filthy, still wearing the clothes of the battle. His hair was caked with blood, and he looked tired. So tired. He needed to clean himself and dress himself and redo his hair and sleep for at least a few hours, and then Dori would let his brother return to Dwalin's side. He explained this, but Nori didn't hear, wouldn't hear.

Dori took a more firm hold of his brother's arm, the hold that always worked, the one Nori sometimes complained later nearly crumbled his bones. He pulled Nori toward the exit of the tent, and Nori spun into him, knife in hand and murder on his face.

He screamed and dropped the knife as though it had burnt him before it got anywhere near Dori, but still...

Nori pulled a _knife_  on Dori for the first time in their lives.

Nori gasped at his brother in horror, finally _seeing_ him, and Dori did not let go.

“Look at yourself!” Dori said. “You need to take care of yourself too.” Nori nodded, crumpling against his brother and allowing himself to be led away.

Dori helped get Nori cleaned up and fed, mothered him in the way Nori had not allowed in many decades, and Ori somehow coaxed Nori to lay down on a bedroll. Ori and Dori snuggled up to either side of Nori, holding him down. Nori complained that he was not tired at all and then fell into a deep sleep. They both drifted off too, and when they awoke Nori had slipped out from between them.

Dori was not surprised to find him sitting beside Dwalin. He made sure the healers knew that it was not safe for anyone but his brothers to try to move Nori.

He watched for a little while. He saw the way Nori held Dwalin's hand, saw the way Nori's eyes touched Dwalin's face, saw Nori's lips move as he whispered to Dwalin. He was how Nori tensed whenever there was a longer pause between the warrior's shallow breaths.

Dori remembered frustrating conversations with a reckless younger brother who claimed there was no such thing as love, and if there was it was a waste of time when there were so many people to in the world to fuck. He remembered being told that love was a trap, a prison meant to kill, and that Nori would _never_ let it catch him, that he was too smart a thief for that! He remembered (though he tried not to) catching Dwalin and Nori against that tree, and catching Nori replacing broken pants laces. He remembered watching Nori's adolescent idea of what flirting was in Lake Town. He remembered being pulled in to a hug along with Dwalin and Ori when Nori had been relieved they were all alive after the cave in, as though Dwalin were just as much family. He remembered waking up to see Nori curled against Dwalin in his sleep in those long dark days in the Mountain.

Dori looked at Nori's face, and he knew the thief had finally let himself be caught.

Dori knew from years of living in Ered Luin that Dwalin was completely honorable. He was the most honest guardsman in the city, and of course he was of impeccable family. He remembered seeing that tender look on Dwalin's face when he watched Nori and didn't think anyone could see. He heard from Ori that Dwalin had taken the spear for him, had saved his life.

That last thing alone was more than enough to endear him to Dori.

If Nori had finally let himself love, Dori did not think he could have chosen better.

Dori prayed that Dwalin recovered, because if he didn't...

it would destroy Nori.

 

Dori had always told Ori that love was a gentle thing. He said it was a quiet thing that started with respect and admiration and grew slowly into something more. Dori had always told him that the stories in romance books were completely unrealistic, and that no one ever starts from hatred or dislike and comes to love.

That was why Ori hadn't known what was happening between Dwalin and Nori earlier, because it didn't fit the picture Dori had told him.

Normally, Ori tried to get two versions of things, Dori's and Nori's, and decided that the truth was somewhere between. Unfortunately, Nori had always insisted that there was no such thing as love. Ori knew _that_ wasn't true, or else people wouldn't go on about it so much.

Ori watched how Nori helped the healers take care of Dwalin, and how distracted he was when he had to be away from Dwalin. He knew that Dori's picture had been at least a little wrong because if this wasn't love Ori didn't know what love was.

Ori tried to pinpoint when this had happened. Before the quest, Dwalin had hated Nori, and at the beginning of the quest he had fought with Nori. The two had not had much to do with one another until they disappeared together right before Beorn's house.

Dori had said they weren't fighting, and Ori blushed as he wondered what they  might  have been doing. But Nori had been injured, and really. No.

It wasn't until Mirkwood when Ori had seen them accidentally cuddling that they had started to have anything to do with one another. He wondered if it really  had  been accidental after all.

Ori blushed again as he remembered that Nori and Dwalin would sometimes disappear in the evenings in Lake Town. Sometimes when Nori came to bed in the middle of the night he smelled like sweat and Dwalin.

Ori hadn't realized sooner because it didn't fit the picture he had been given. There was no courting with gifts, no asking of the family for permission, no declarations of commitment. Dwalin and Nori had simply seen something they wanted and taken it, letting convention go hang.

It was far closer to something Ori read in a romance than the picture Dori had given him.

Ori remembered the warm weight of Dwalin's hand on his chest when they slept in the cold guardhouse, the warrior's hand joining Nori and Dori's keeping him safe and warm. Ori remembered all the little ways Dwalin had tried to keep him safe during the Quest, pulling him back when his inexperience led him into danger.

Ori remembered being pushed out of the way, seeing the spear that would have killed him punch clear through Dwalin's shoulder.

He did not think Nori could have chosen a better new brother for him if he'd tried. It was a sweet thought, a warm thought, and he thought of it whenever writing of all they had lost in the battle became too much. It kept the tears back that might have fallen and smudged the pages of his book.

Ori did not think about what would happen if Dwalin didn't make it.

He could not face that, not after everything else.

 

Balin had buried a King before, and did it again.

He had buried a Prince before, and did it again doubled.

He had buried his father, and his mother, and far far too many friends.

Always his brother had been beside him.

He watched his brother's shallow breathing, saw the pallor of his skin, saw the look Oin gave him, and knew that his chances of burying a brother were very good.

Balin watched Nori beside his brother, and it broke his heart. He watched Nori wind the end of his long braid into Dwalin's fingers. He heard the quiet whispers that were half threat and half desperate plea to live.

He didn't hold out much hope, knew his old heart could not bear it, but he knew that if anyone could break through to his brother, could awaken that stubborn spark that kept Dwarves alive when they should have died, it would be the thief. No one had ever captured Dwalin the way Nori had. None of the lovers his brother had taken had ever awakened as much passion as Dwalin felt for Nori. After one meeting, though it was an arrest and an escape, the Dwarf had been on Dwalin's mind. After each meeting and escape, Dwalin only grew more focused on the thief.

Once Balin met Nori he began to understand why. Nori was completely unafraid of Dwalin, and that was not something anyone but his immediate family had ever given the oversized warrior. Nori was built light and lean, which was to Dwalin's taste, but unlike the shy Dwarves Dwalin usually took to his bed, Nori brimmed over with swagger and confidence. He was sharp and clever, and clearly saw himself as more than an equal to anyone.

And of course there was his _hair._ Balin could remember when Dwalin was young and still spoke most of what passed through his mind, and always it was hair he noticed first about a Dwarf. Especially if it was long, the longer the better. He spoke about wanting to get it out of its braids, wanting to get his fingers into it. His brother no longer spoke so openly, but Balin noticed that long hair always drew his eye.

Balin could not say he was terribly surprised when Dwalin's passion changed from frustrated dislike to something kinder. When his brother chased Nori through the Lake Town house and threw him against the wall with all his considerable strength and Nori simply smiled in bright challenge, Balin knew that Nori's confidence in himself was well-founded.

The sons of Kori were known for their mother's strength. Dori held it in the power of his arms and Ori, young though he was, seemed set to follow the same path, but Nori's strength was a different kind. Dwalin had found someone he could not break, and Balin watched his brother's breath catch and face flush with desire. Someone who did not know his brother so well might have mistaken the expression for rage.

Balin remembered Dwalin's pride when Nori opened locked doors in the Mountain. He remembered his brother sleeping beside Nori to protect the thief from Thorin's gold madness. He remembered glimpsing what could have been a kiss right before the Company entered the battle.

Balin watched Nori as the days wore on. He saw Dori and Ori force their brother to eat and sleep, saw Oin teach Nori how to feed Dwalin liquids to keep him alive. Against all odds Dwalin continued to cling to life. Balin did what he could to help Nori. He gave him things to do and promised to try to stay by Dwalin's side when Nori was dragged away to sleep for the few hours his brothers could hold him.

Balin was there when his brother finally woke up. He saw Dwalin's eyes turn to Nori, saw his hand close on the end of the braid that was in his fingers.

“...caught a thief...” Dwalin whispered blearily. He made the mistake of trying to move his left arm and released a roar of pain that even Oin heard. He rushed over with poppy milk to keep the warrior still and ease his pain.

Balin saw how patient Nori was with drugged Dwalin, answering the same questions over and over.

“Thorin is dead, they buried him with Orcrist and the Arkenstone, he was himself at the end.”

“Fili and Kili are dead, they buried them together, with Kili's bow and Fili's swords.”

“I'm fine, Ori's fine, the rest of the Company is fine.”

Balin saw the relief on Nori's face when Oin finally told him that Dwalin was out of danger. The thief sobbed openly and finally let his brothers lead him away. He slept for two days solid.

Balin did not doubt that it would be a little difficult to have a thief for a brother, but after all he had seen he knew it would be well worth the challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter and an epilogue, folks. 
> 
> Some artwork for this chapter that is utterly heartbreaking:  
> http://mianewarcher.tumblr.com/post/44483833436/playing-with-watercolor  
> http://mianewarcher.tumblr.com/post/44462514906/chapter-22-your-axe-to-my-throat-by


	23. disarmed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori takes a sledgehammer to some walls.  
> The above sentence may or may not be allegorical.

Nori found Dwalin in the crypts.

He had awoken, stiff and bleary, in the house Dori had been cleaning out for them. Ori had made Nori dress and eat and take care of himself before he told him he'd been asleep for two whole days.

_two days_   
_anything could have happened to Dwalin in two days!_

He'd grabbed a lamp and left the Mountain for the healer's tents at a run.

Dwalin was no longer there. If Oin hadn't been there to calmly explain that Dwalin had walked away under his own power Nori might have knifed someone. No one could tell him where Dwalin had gone, only that he had left in the direction of the Mountain.

Dwalin was not in his old home, and Balin who was there had not seen him. He was not in the treasury. He was not in the place the Company had been camping.

Nori finally found him in the crypts.

Dwalin had either dressed himself or been dressed in his clothes, and his left arm was in a sling to keep the weight off his injured shoulder. The warrior knelt in front of the two sealed tombs, taking the hoarse shuddering breaths that said he had no tears left but could not stop.

_he loved them, he loved them so much_   
_he knew all three of them their whole lives_

Nori made sure to make enough noise as he walked that Dwalin was not surprised when he knelt on his right. He placed his lamp to the side and looked up at the warrior's haggard face.

“My princes. I should have taught them better. I should have been there.” Dwalin's voice was broken. He covered his face with his hand.

“I taught them to dodge and sneak. I should have taught them to run.” Nori said, quietly. He reached up to take Dwalin's hand in his. The warrior squeezed his fingers almost hard enough to hurt.

“They would not have, brave loyal children.” Dwalin turned his reddened eyes to Nori. “How do they lie?” he asked.

_he doesn't remember all those times he already asked you, with all the poppy milk they were giving him_   
_...does he remember that you were beside him at all?_

Nori stood, describing how the princes had been given to the stone. Kili with his bow in hand, Fili with his swords, side by side with their hands intertwined so they would never be separated.

“And Thorin?” Dwalin asked. Nori described once again how Thorin lay, Orcrist in his hands and the Arkenstone on his chest. It seemed that Dwalin had a few tears left, and even after so many times of describing it Nori did too.

“They say was himself, at the end,” Nori assured him. “He made his peace.” That was what Dwalin always asked next.

Dwalin's hand was back over his face, he took two deep breaths before he removed it. He reached up to take the edge of Nori's tunic in his fingers, eyes begging as he looked up at him.

“I...” he started, and then hesitated, looking to the side. “...you don't...” his shoulders slumped in defeat. “Can I hold you?” he finally asked, brokenly.

Nori dropped to his knees again. He leaned into Dwalin, wrapping his arms around him as much as he could without hurting him. Dwalin wrapped his good arm around him, pulling him in tight.

“Not here,” Nori said. “...not with... just not here?”

_not surrounded by the dead_   
_not when you were so close to having to put him with them_

Dwalin nodded, and Nori wedged his shoulder under the big warrior's good arm to help him stand. Dwalin rested more of his weight on Nori than he probably realized as they walked slowly out of the cold crypts. Up and out toward the city of Erebor that was in the beginnings of the process of being restored.

Nori brought Dwalin to the beautiful house that Dori had claimed, brought him into the room Dori had assigned him. It was bare, with hardly more than a bedroll on a stone bed frame, but it was _Nori's_ room. No one else was home, but Nori still closed and locked the solid stone door behind them.

He settled Dwalin on the small bed, sitting him with his back against the wall, and climbed onto the giant. Nori straddled Dwalin and rested his forehead against his uninjured shoulder, breathing the scent that was starting to smell warm and animal and _safe_ again. It had faded when Dwalin was so close to death, buried in the scent of blood and sickness. That almost more than Dwalin's shallow breathing and pallor had terrified Nori.

_he's safe, he's safe and that means you're safe_   
_never let him go again_

Dwalin rubbed Nori's back, twisted his fingers in the ends of his braid, reached up to touch the side of Nori's face. Nori turned his face into the touch, leaning back to see Dwalin as he reciprocated. He felt those familiar rough fingers on his skin as he touched the warrior's weathered features.

Dwalin ran his thumb softly over Nori's lips, hand cradling his cheek. The giant leaned forward slightly, lips parting.

_a kiss... a kiss?.. oh!.._   
_no don't pull back from him!_   
_this is good, yes, yes, kiss him_

Dwalin leaned back with a broken half-exhalation that was almost a sob. He turned his face away as he closed his eyes, moving his thumb away from Nori's lips.

_you've hurt him_   
_you have hurt him so much with your ridiculous rules_   
_they never stopped you from feeling anything_   
_he was too good, to good and too strong and too wonderful_   
_he is the best Dwarf you ever met and you love him and he won't kiss you because you would never let him_   
_you hurt him so much, and you can only see it now because he is too exhausted to hide it_

Nori put a hand on either side of Dwalin's bearded face. The warrior did not resist as Nori turned him back to face him.

“Dwalin,” he whispered, and the warrior's eyes flew open. Nori could feel his hands trembling as he leaned forward, eyes open, looking into Dwalin's.

_oh Mahal how many decades has it been since you did this?_   
_never, never, it's never been like this_   
_you've never wanted it like this_

Nori closed his eyes as his lips finally pressed against Dwalin's. He felt them yield softly against his, warm and slightly chapped.

When Dwalin responded he thought his heart would stop.

 

Dwalin didn't know how much of what he remembered was real and how much was poppy-milk dreams. He thought he remembered soft hair in his fingers and whispered pleading threats to live. He thought he remembered nimble fingers touching him, soothing him when the pain broke through. He thought he remembered Nori's voice saying his name as though it were the most important and beautiful word in the world.

When he woke in the night, feeling searing pain in his shoulder and the terrible gnawing hunger of poppy-milk withdrawal, he was alone. Even as he begged for more, he knew they would not give it to him. Dwalin was in enough pain that when an Elf healer offered him something he drank it without asking a single question. He would have tried anything.

When he woke again in the morning he was alone and still in pain, but the poppy-milk hunger was gone and his pain was manageable. Oin gave him willow-bark in water, and tended his wound, and helped him dress, and fed him breakfast, and let him leave. He gave Dwalin a small vial of willow-bark extract to take with him for if the pain grew to great.

Dwalin didn't know how much of what he remembered was real and how much was poppy-milk dreams. He remembered being told of the fate of Thorin and the princes. He tried not to believe it was true until he saw the names engraved in the stone the tombs.

When Nori found him and touched him with gentle hands, when Nori was holding him, when Nori's arm around him steadying him as they walked felt so much like the sure hands he remembered - he wondered if the rest was true. He could not let himself believe it. When Nori led him to what was clearly his own room and locked the door behind him, he began to believe it a little more. When Nori did not hesitate to reciprocate his touches he was almost sure it had been real.

When he leaned forward for a kiss, but felt Nori's hesitation and saw that sudden spark of fear, he knew it had all been a poppy-milk dream. His mind taunting him with what he wanted but could never have.

He expected Nori to move away from him, to leave him, to send him away. He did not know what to expect when shaking hands cradled his cheeks and turned him to face the smaller Dwarf. When Nori whispered his name, Dwalin knew it all must have been real because it sounded exactly like how he remembered. The lean Dwarf looked afraid, but he leaned in and their lips touched for the first time.

_so soft_   
_oh yes, oh yes my Nori..._

It was a shy thing, hesitant, and Nori was trembling.

When Dwalin caught that soft bottom lip between his own, running his tongue along it, and Nori pressed into him with a quiet whimper, he knew it didn't matter what had been real anymore because _this_  was real. He resisted the urge to bury his fingers in Nori's braided hair. Instead he held the smaller Dwarf, pulling him close.

_in all my fantasies of this I had two arms to use, but I cannot even care_   
_finally, finally to kiss him_

Nori deepened the kiss, his tongue probing hesitantly at the seam between his lips. Dwalin opened for him gladly, tasting him as allowed himself to be explored before he reciprocated.

_in this, you know more than he does_   
_show him what he has missed_

Dwalin explored slowly, experimented, searching for what Nori liked best. Lightly biting his lips elicited soft needy whimpers. The slow slide of tongues between their mouths drew out low groans. It was no surprise that fast hard thrusts as though Dwalin were fucking his mouth with his tongue turned Nori into a quivering armful of panting moaning need.

_he likes what he likes_   
_if only, if only I could_   
_but I'm in no shape to be fucking him at all, and especially not the way he needs_

Dwalin finally broke the kiss. He readjusted his shoulders against the wall so his injury didn't hurt him, and Nori's hands were immediately there to help. Nori sat back to look at Dwalin, face flushed and smiling. He leaned forward to press a kiss on Dwalin's forehead.

“I'm sorry it took me so long,” he whispered. Dwalin drew him down for another kiss, soft and gentle.

“Will you take your hair down?” Dwalin asked, “I won't look.” Nori drew back sharply, tensing. His eyes were wide, darting back and forth as though he wanted to run.

_you've scared him_   
_he knows you suspect his secret, whatever it is_   
_don't lose him!_

Dwalin grabbed a handful of Nori's tunic.

_that's not going to hold him if he wants to get away, not with all the knives he carries_

“You have secrets,” Dwalin said. He held eye contact, begging the smaller Dwarf to understand. “You would take the one in your hair to your grave. I'll never ask, and I'll never tell anyone.”

_his secrets are his life_   
_his secrets and his brothers are the things most important to him_   
_I could not ask him to give up either_

Nori's lip trembled but he bit it. He nodded briefly and leaned in for a quick peck of a kiss.

“Don't look,” he whispered.

Dwalin closed his eyes, turning his face downward so he couldn't see even if he peeked. He listened to the quiet sound of hair falling from braids, felt the soft sweep of it falling around him. It seemed like a long time before Nori's hand lifted his face, and Dwalin opened his eyes to see all that loose hair.

_Aule be praised, his beard is down too_   
_it's beautiful_   
_I never knew it was so long!_

Dwalin reached up to touch. He asked permission with his eyes and got a nod before he ran his fingers through Nori's beard. It was coarser than the soft hair of his head, but still wonderfully silky, and nearly as long as the hair on his head. Dwalin switched to head hair, grabbing a handful and pulling Nori close for a hard kiss that had them both moaning.

“I've wanted your hair ever since the second time I arrested you,” Dwalin whispered, running fingers through it. “You have the most beautiful hair I have ever seen.”

“I know," Nori smiled. “Why do you think it took me so long to comb it? I liked you watching. I wanted you from the first time you threw me against a wall.”

Dwalin let go of Nori's hair and reached into his pocket. He pulled out out a tiny flower of gray-green thread, faded after so many years, and put it into Nori's hands.

Nori inspected it, laughing a little in amazement. Dwalin put the little dragonfly of red-brown hair in the smaller Dwarf's hands next and watched Nori's wonder grow.

“You kept them,” Nori breathed. Dwalin drew him in for a gentle kiss.

_I have to finish this_   
_it will stand in front of me forever if I don't_

Dwalin brushed Nori's hair to the side, away from his neck. He pulled down the collar of his shirt slightly and kissed the thin white scar he'd put there with his axe.

“I've never regretted anything more in my life,” he whispered. He pulled the third knot out of his pocket, placing the ugly sharp thing made of his own hair in Nori's hand. “I...” his voice wanted to stop on him, but he forced himself to continue, unable to meet Nori's eyes. “I can't read it. I know that after I... I hurt you...”

_oh Aule I can't even say the word for what I did to him_

“Sshh,” Nori soothed, hand gentle against his cheek. “It was a mistake, an accident.”

“I know I can never ask you to trust me, not after I...” Dwalin closed his eyes, forced the word out in a whisper through reluctant lips, “...rape.”

“No!” Nori grabbed him by the beard, the sharp pinch of it forcing Dwalin's eyes to open. “No, Dwalin,” Nori repeated. He smoothed his hand over Dwalin's cheek, eyes sad.

“They would never have found your body, if you'd done that.” Nori shook his head and lifted the knot. “This says you're a bad lay, and broke the rules.”

“I didn't know," Dwalin started, and Nori was nodding.

“I know you didn't know. I would have realized you weren't that kind of guardsman if I'd been thinking, but I wasn't thinking. I just _wanted_.” Nori planted a gentle kiss on Dwalin's lips. “You had no idea what you were doing. It was a mistake on both sides.” Nori sat back and looked at the ugly knot. He wrapped his hand around it, closing his eyes in thought.

“I was disappointed because I wanted more from you. I was angry that you arrested me afterward because that's against the rules. And I was not happy that the axe slipped.” He looked at the knot again, handing the flower and dragonfly back to Dwalin. “This says you're disappointing and untrustworthy, but you aren't either thing,” he said firmly. With a quick flick of his fingers Nori sent the knot flying directly into the lamp, where it disappeared in a bright flare of fire and a puff of foul smoke.

_years_   
_years that spiky knot poked at me_   
_now it's just gone_   
_...I don't know how to feel..._

Nori kissed him roughly, biting at his lips with little growls until Dwalin retaliated. Nori whimpered, melting against him. When they finally broke apart again, Nori rested his forehead against Dwalin's, eyes closed.

“Trust,” Nori said, quietly. He visibly steeled himself before he moved away from Dwalin, crawling backward off the bed so he stood in front of him.

_he looks terrified_   
_what is he doing?_

Nori took off his belt and picked at the leather in seemingly random places. He took no less than seven tiny knives out of it, putting them back quickly and dropping the belt.

_his knives..._   
_he's showing me..._

Nori took off his leather wrist guards, revealing the knives hidden underneath, and then pulled out knives that were built into the wrist guards themselves. He took off his outer jacket, revealing straps that conformed to the shape of his body, holding sheaths against him so they echoed the shapes of his bones. He showed the knives in them to Dwalin one by one as he took them off. He took off his next layer to reveal more, and yet more inside his final layer against his skin. The smaller Dwarf's face was set in a solid blank mask as he revealed more and more knives of all makes and sizes until Dwalin wondered how he didn't look like a hedgehog.

_I knew he carried a lot but I never knew he carried so many_

There were knives along his legs too. There were no fewer than four knives built into the structure of each boot so they were invisible from the outside or inside.

Finally Nori stood in front of Dwalin completely naked, looking tiny and vulnerable.

_trust, I never thought..._   
_oh Nori!_

Dwalin reached for Nori, and the lean Dwarf practically threw himself into Dwalin. He took care not to touch Dwalin's injured shoulder or jostle his arm in its sling as he curled into Dwalin's chest, hiding under his hair as Dwalin held him. Dwalin murmuring soothing nothings and rubbed his back, kissing the top of his head, the only place he could reach. He reached for a blanket and tried awkwardly to wrap it around them with one arm until Nori helped. He draping it around them both so Nori wouldn't get cold.

“How many people have ever seen that?” Dwalin asked. Nori shook his head.

“You. Only you." His voice trembled, and Dwalin held him as tight as he could with one arm.

_my Nori, my Nori_   
_tell him, tell him like I almost told him in the crypts even though I didn't know what was poppy-milk dreams or real_   
_I don't care that he'll never give me a promise, his trust deserves my honesty_

“Nori, son of Kori,” he said, hearing Nori's sharp intake of breath at his name. “I love you.”

 

Showing his knives to Dwalin might have been the hardest thing Nori ever made himself do.

_you love him_   
_you didn't want to but you do, and he respects your secrets and you love him_   
_he needs your trust_   
_you can give him one, one secret, you can trust him with that_

Nori showed Dwalin all his knives. Once he started he didn't let himself stop, even though everything was screaming that it was dangerous and that he should run away. Run far far away and never come back.

He wanted to run, more than anything, when he was done. Throw all his clothes on as fast as possible and run _away_.

_too much_   
_too much too dangerous_   
_never supposed to do this_

Dwalin reached for him, and Nori ran _toward_ instead. He curled into the scent of _safe_ with Dwalin's arm around him, wrapping him in a blanket so he wasn't chilled in the cool room.

_you're safe_   
_you're safe with Dwalin_   
_he deserves your trust, your secrets are safe_

He had almost managed to talk himself back down when Dwalin spoke. Dwalin said his name for the first time, the syllables soft and precious on his tongue, his voice that perfect deep rumble that shuddered all the way through Nori.

“I love you.”

_no no no_   
_don't say it!_   
_why did he have to say it?_   
_you can't, you can't do this!_

“you can't...” Nori gasped.  
“I do. I love you,” Dwalin answered.  
Nori tried to breathe.

_can't can't can't can't_   
_too dangerous_   
_get him away!_

“I'll cheat on you. I'll fuck Men and Women, and Dwarves of all kinds, and, and  _Elves_.”

“Shh,” Dwalin soothed quietly, rubbing his back. “I love you.”

“I'll run away and be gone for months or years and I'll steal and cheat and lie and get thrown into jail and some day I'll get shanked and die in an alley and you'll never know!”

“Nori,” Dwalin kissed him on the top of the head. “I'll come with you. A warrior can find work anywhere. I love you.”

_...he would do it_   
_he's too good_   
_he's the best Dwarf you've ever met, why does he have to do this to you?_   
_why?_

“You're more than a sell-sword,” Nori said into the middle of Dwalin's chest.

“I've been one,” Dwalin said. “You're more than a thief. I love you.”

_don't... don't talk..._   
_if you don't talk he can't answer_   
_so dangerous, so dangerous_   
_run away!_   
_grab your knives and clothes and steal some food and a pony, ride fast and you can be halfway to the iron hills in two days and..._   
_and…_   
_no_   
_this is Dwalin_   
_he's not some mark who got too clingy_   
_he pulled you out from under the Goblin king and he held you in Mirkwood and he protected you from Thorin's madness and he took a spear for Ori when you couldn't have reached him in time_   
_this is Dwalin, do you really think he would use his love as an excuse to try to kill you?_   
_he wouldn't_   
_it's Dwalin, the very best Dwarf you've ever met_   
_did you sit by his bedside for days and days praying for each breath to follow the last just to push him away now? just to run away because of the rules you made for yourself so long ago?_

“Dwalin,” Nori's voice abandoned him.

“mmm?” Dwalin was still rubbing his back.

“I won't fuck Elves.”

“I know,” Dwalin chuckled a little, squeezing him. Nori pushed his face further into Dwalin's chest.

“I can't promise I'll never cheat on you. I don't know. I've never done  _this_...” Nori made a gesture that tried to say everything.

_you've never loved someone before, you don't know how to do this_   
_you'll probably do it wrong more than you do it right_

“Mmm,” Dwalin's tone was not happy. Not happy but not angry.

“And I'm still a thief. I'll steal things.”

“I know.”

“I'll climb in the windows at night even if the front door is open.”

“Good,” Dwalin chuckled.

“I'll break myself out of jail so you don't have to come bail me out.”

“They'll never catch you, not if I'm not chasing.”

“You won't chase me?”

“No. I love you.”

“...What if I want you to chase me?”

Dwalin chuckled again, rubbed his cheek along the top of Nori's head. “Then I'll chase you.”

“Good,” Nori said.

_this can work_   
_this can work, you can do this_

Nori relaxed a little against Dwalin. The big Dwarf idly ran his fingers through his hair as Nori basked in the warmth and closeness of being held. He listened to the breathing that was finally strong and sure instead of halting and uneven.

_it's nice to be here with him_   
_it's nice not to fight against it anymore_

Dwalin shifted against him, breath hitching, and Nori looked up quickly. Dwalin's face looked slightly pinched, his jaw set.

_pain_   
_he's hurting_   
_fix it!_

“What do you need?” Nori moved off of the warrior. He helped Dwalin readjust his position, but it didn't seem to help. Dwalin's breath huffed uncomfortably.

“Do you have anything for the pain? Should I go get Oin?” Nori asked. Dwalin patted at a pocket and brought out a small vial Nori recognized as willow-bark extract. He'd seen the healers use it enough in the past days that he knew exactly what to do.

“I think I need to lie down,” Dwalin said, quietly. Nori wished he had a more comfortable bed for him as he arranged his bedroll and helped Dwalin lie down as comfortably as he could. He spread the blanket he'd been wearing on top of the giant.

Dwalin grinned through the pain and grabbed a handful of loose hair, pulling Nori down for a kiss before he let him go. Nori put on his tunic and boots and was covered enough to go into the house without scandalizing anyone.

_a cup of water for the willow-bark, and one to chase it_   
_you should have realized sooner that he was hurting_   
_he only just got up off his death bed, and you were so focused on yourself you didn't see he was in pain_

Nori was opening all the cabinets in the kitchen looking for the cups he knew must be there somewhere when Dori came home.

“Cups?” Nori asked. Dori, despite raised eyebrows for how Nori was dressed, pointed to the cabinet. Nori grabbed two small cups, filling them from the pot of water Dori had probably hauled himself. Nori wondered how long it would be before Erebor's plumbing was back in order.

“Dwalin?” Dori asked, gesturing toward Nori's room. Nori nodded as he began to walk back, Dori's hand on his arm stopped him.

“He's in no shape to be...” Dori's voice was quiet. The way he looked from Nori's state of undress to Nori's room was eloquently disbelieving.

“He isn't,” Nori assured Dori. He sauntered back to his room, locking the door behind him.

_let him wonder what you're up to in here_   
_it'll do him good to exercise his imagination_

“How much do you need?” Nori asked. He put the cups down beside Dwalin and opened the vial of extract.

“How strong is it?” Dwalin asked. His face was tight with the pain.

“Strong,” Nori said. “They were giving five drops before they went for poppy-milk instead.”

“Two?” Dwalin said, “...maybe three...”

Nori put three drops into one of the cups and swirled it, then carefully propped Dwalin up the way Oin had taught him. Dwalin drank the cup down, making a face at the bitter taste, and chased it down the fresh water.

Nori settled Dwalin back down again and sat beside him on the bed. He idly petted Dwalin's tattooed head, running his fingers over his scar, his beard, his crooked nose, his lips.

Dwalin caught Nori's finger between his lips, and Nori leaned down to replace his finger with his lips. His hair fell around their faces like a curtain as they kissed. Dwalin reached up to run his fingers through it, making a happy humming noise as he spread it around them.

_so strange to kiss him_   
_so strange but so good_   
_kissing was never this good..._

“How are you doing?” Nori asked, his face just above Dwalin's. Their breaths mingled under the curtain of his hair.

“Another few minutes until the willow-bark starts helping,” Dwalin said. “I was distracting myself, thinking about you.”

“What about me?” Nori asked, curious.

“Some day, I'm going to have you,” the giant rumbled, running his fingers through Nori's hair. “I'm going to have you spread out across a big comfortable bed with your hair everywhere, and I'm going to make love to you for hours.”

_you've never really liked that, it was always boring_   
_kissing him isn't boring, though_   
_it might be nice, with him_

“I'll try it, for you,” Nori promised, kissing him again. “Is there anything else you like?”

_you've never asked him that before_   
_you've never talked about what he likes_   
_you just told him what you wanted, and assumed he wouldn't if he didn't like it_   
_he seemed to like it, he seemed to like fucking you very much_

Some of his concern must have shown on his face because Dwalin pulled him down to kiss him hard. “I love fucking you, it's so good. Maybe, sometimes, we could try it the other way.”

_oh!_   
_that's unexpected... but yes_   
_oh yes, with his face in the pillows, watching the big muscles on his back jump and twitch while you sink into him and he moans..._

“I like that too, sometimes,” Nori said.

_no wonder he's so good at staying still until you tell him to go_   
_he's been there_

“Just sometimes,” Dwalin assured him, and then yawned. “The willow-bark's starting to work. I might sleep...”

Nori nodded, kissing him on the forehead and sitting back up. He brushed his hair back out of his face.

Dwalin touched him on the thigh. “You'll stay here?” he asked, face showing more concern than he probably realized.

“I won't leave you,” Nori promised. Dwalin closed his eyes, falling asleep quickly. His breath fell into a steady rhythm that Nori automatically paid attention to, a habit after so long sitting by his bedside waiting.

_he has so much healing to do_   
_it will be a long time before he has his strength back, but you can wait_   
_you can be here for him_

He gently smoothed his hand down Dwalin's hair, gathering a few strands.

_he kept your knots all these years, you should make him a good one to replace the angry one you burnt_   
_slip it into his pocket and see how long it takes him to find it_

Nori settled in beside Dwalin, keeping himself busy with a knot while he waited.

 

When Dwalin woke up Nori was lying beside him, tucked up under his good arm. The smaller Dwarf had dressed himself and braided his hair back up, which Dwalin found surprisingly disappointing.

“Do you need more willow-bark?” Nori asked. Dwalin shook his head, squeezing him closer.

_my Nori_

Nori held his hand over Dwalin's wound, not touching.

“Why did you do it?” he asked. His voice was quiet, hazel eyes looking up at Dwalin.

_why did I do it?_   
_because Ori is part of the Company_   
_because he's a sweet lad_   
_because I couldn't bear to watch him die too_   
_because I saw your face when you saw what would happen and I couldn't watch you watch him die either_

“It would have killed Ori. And that would have killed you,” Dwalin answered.

“You think it wouldn't kill me to lose you?” Hhe words snapped out of Nori. The smaller Dwarf bit his lips, looking down away from Dwalin's face.

_oh Nori, I didn't even know_   
_I still would have done it, but I didn't know_

Dwalin pulled the lean Dwarf as close as he could.

“Thank you. Thank you for saving him but it was too close,” Nori's voice was thick. “You were barely breathing, and you were so pale. I saw how the healers looked at you, you weren't going to live. It was too close... I can't lose you.”

“I'm a warrior, I always will be. I'll die some day, and in battle most likely,” Dwalin answered.

_not the soothing answer, but the honest one to compliment his honesty earlier_   
_he'll die in an alley and I'll die on a battlefield_   
_...a fine match we make..._   
_but I love him, and I'll keep him as long as he lets me_

“Until then, I would be your Dwarf,” Dwalin rubbed Nori's back. “Should I court you properly?” he asked. “Ask Dori for permission, bring you gifts?”

Nori snorted. “If you do, I won't have you. Dori doesn’t own me.”

Dwalin reached into his beard, shifting Nori a bit in the process, and pulled out one of his mother's beads. It was a pretty little thing, silver and green.

_please, please don't scare him off_

“Should I offer you this, then?” Dwalin asked. “I can't braid it into your hair, but...” he gestured at his injured shoulder in explanation, heart in his throat.

_please, please don't have been too much_   
_please say yes_

Nori's eyes widened and he sat up, swallowing hard.

“I...” he said, “I...” he reached up hesitantly to take Dwalin's hand in both of his. “...but I don't have one to give back?”

_praise Aule, he didn't say no_

Dwalin put the bead safely in Nori's hand, then grabbed him by the front of the tunic and dragged him in for a kiss.

 

Ori was the first to notice. The remaining members of the Company were having dinner in the home of the sons of Kori. Bombur had made an excellent stew with whatever scraps of food were available in the Mountain these days, and Dori had made bread.

“Oh!” Ori said suddenly, staring very intently at Nori's left ear. He blushed and, not very subtly at all, he peeked around at Dwalin's left ear. He made a happy squeak when he saw what he was looking for. He turned to Dwalin and made a very correct bow for the situation.

“Brother,” he greeted with a huge smile.

The Company burst into cheers. Wager winnings flew back and forth as they all crowded around to see. There was a silver and green bead strung on a small braid behind Nori's left ear, and behind Dwalin's there was a tiny disk of knotted gold wire.

“You skipped all the courting  _and_  the wedding?” Dori asked his brother in exasperation. Nori just flashed his trademark cocky smile and his big brother could not hide how pleased he was, despite how he fussed.

“Treasured Beloved,” Oin read the knots on the tiny disk behind Dwalin's ear. The warrior turned to Nori in surprise. The thief had time to turn bright red before Dwalin grabbed him and kissed him to renewed cheers from the Company.

Dori sighed and tried to cover Ori's eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just an epilogue left, folks. 
> 
> this chapter was surprisingly long because apparently, after not talking to one another for the entire story, Dwalin and Nori had some things they wanted to say.
> 
> Some stunning artwork for this chapter:  
> http://mianewarcher.tumblr.com/post/44586705308/working-on-the-kiss-scene-from-chapter-23-of-your  
> http://mianewarcher.tumblr.com/post/44666783495/chapter-23-your-axe-to-my-throat-by-thorinsmut  
> http://mianewarcher.tumblr.com/post/44674162891/knives-scene-chapter-23-your-axe-to-my-throat  
> http://mianewarcher.tumblr.com/post/44743039551/final-set-from-chapter-23-your-axe-to-my-throat


	24. epilogue

There is a thief  
and there is a guardsman.

 

The guardsman travels far and wide, protecting envoys and emissaries and the family of the King as they travel. He is known and feared and greatly respected.

When the King offered him the job he wanted to turn it down because his heart was broken. He could not bear to lose another he was trying to protect, but he knew his kinsman the King, and he knew it was right.

He said he would not do it without the thief.

And the King listened.

The guardsmas does not regret accepting the job.

 

The thief travels far and wide. He steals and cheats and picks pockets and sometimes gets arrested and keeps his ears open in the darker places of cities, doing the same job as the guardsman. He is for the most part unknown.

When the King offered him the job he wanted to reject him. He remembered how the King wept on the grave of the other King and the two Princes. He saw how the King did not covet the gold. He saw how the King's people loved but did not fear him, and he listened instead.

When he told the King that he could not swear loyalty to him, the King listened.

The thief does not regret accepting the job.

 

Sometimes when the thief is arrested, he is beaten by the guards. Those guards tend to have a sudden encounter with an angry giant on a dark street

The injuries take months to heal.

 

Sometimes there are whispered plans to quietly kill the guardsman, to get him out of the way, to get to those he protects.

The bodies are never found.

 

Sometimes the thief and the guardsman meet. The guardsman chases the thief, and catches him, and throws him against a wall and fucks him brutally until neither one has the strength to stand.

Sometimes they meet in an inn, the thief slipping in through the window at night. They trade desperate burning kisses and whispered information before the thief has to leave again.

Sometimes they meet in the great kingdom of Erebor, where they are clad in fine cloth and jewels and are not a guardsman and a thief but two heroes. They make love for hours on a big comfortable bed.

 

Sometimes the guardsman and the thief fight viciously side by side, speed and knives complimenting strength and axes so that none can touch them.

Sometimes they fight one another viciously with sharp hard words intended to cut.

Sometimes they do both at the same time, much to the confusion and dismay of their enemies.

Mostly they do not fight.

 

There is a guardsman  
and there is a thief  
and there is love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all folks. 
> 
> Thank you everyone for reading this, and especially thanks to everyone who stuck with me through the chapter4/5 redux fiasco. I have never done something like this fic before, and I really had no idea what I was getting into.  
> When I started I thought it would be about 15k. When I reached chapter 8 I thought I was halfway through. I am terrible at telling how long things are going to be.  
> I have had a lot of fun,  
> If you like, you can find me on tumblr at http://thorinsmut.tumblr.com/  
> Thank you again,  
> and, if you want more, be sure to check out _Axe Omakes_ and _The Extended Adventures of Nori,_  
>  Lots and Lots of Love,  
> -TS

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Saudade](https://archiveofourown.org/works/861773) by [Thorinsmut](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thorinsmut/pseuds/Thorinsmut)




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